Dreamscapes
by RikkiTikkiCathy
Summary: Abed's been changing for a while now. But how to reach out and connect? M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

Abed Nadir observed his study group. They were fighting again. This time it was over whether or not Britta was qualified to give psychiatric advice. Personally he didn't see the point. She wasn't graduated from her Greendale course of study, and she hadn't moved on to get her PHD. It was obvious to him.

"Britta has no qualifications," he interjected suddenly. Everyone stopped yelling and look at him.

"Excuse me, Abed?" Britta's mouth was turned down at the corners.

"Ah, this is a classic you can't make everyone happy scenario," he mused to himself. "The others will be glad because they think I sided with them. You," he gestured to Britta with his pointer finger and cocked his head to the side, "will be upset because you think I undervalue you.

But none of you should feel those ways. Britta, I value you. You are an important dynamic to the group, and sometimes you are helpful with insight from you major. The rest of you should know I'm not siding with you. I think among you Britta is the most knowledgeable about the human psyche. The fact of the matter is you are having very different arguments."

Everyone eased back in their seats. This was confusing. They were all listening to him, they'd stopped fighting.

"I should stop," he said suddenly. He stood and grabbed his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"What?" Annie was the first to object. "Abed, why?"

"Yeah," Troy added, "You got me really excited, man. Don't leave."

"I have to, I'm upsetting the group dynamic," Abed explained.

"What are you talking about, Ah-bed?" Shirley lilted.

"I stopped the fight. I did it with a speech. This is Jeff's role. Not mine. I have to go." He turned to walk away.

A hand slammed down on the table behind him followed quickly by Jeff shouting, "Abed!"

Abed stopped at the door and turned around. "Yes, Jeff." Jeff had shouted but he didn't seem angry. His mouth wasn't turned up or down. Abed was confused.

"Just play my role and end this stupid argument so we can eat dinner."

Abed's eyes widened slightly. "Of course if I'm filling Jeff's role I just need to be Jeff." He switch tactics, He took off his messenger bag and affected Jeff's strut as he went back to his chair. He hovered over the table like Jeff did in Greendale court when he defended Shirley. He was just about to speak when he saw Annie get up and walk over to him. She touched his arm.

"You don't need to be Jeff, Abed. Don't worry; you're not going to steal the show. Just tell us as yourself." She smiled up at him. He was confused. What was she trying to do? This was how things needed to be. Her hand was warm on his arm.

"But Annie, I don't want to disrupt the dynamic. The show won't work if the roles get confused," he tilted his head to the side. Her eyes fluttered. He felt something foreign. Something he'd felt before but it passed quickly. He noted the anomaly for analysis in the Dreamatorium.

"For goodness sake," Peirce shouted, "Just say it!"

He turned his head to the group. "You're all arguing that Britta has her own issues. That doesn't make her unqualified to give psychiatric advice. Most psychiatrists are in therapy. Britta is arguing that her input is valid because she is a psych major. That doesn't make her qualified either." He pointed at Britta and then back to the group. "You're not having the same argument. The argument is supposed to be that she isn't qualified, right?" They nodded silently, even Jeff, although he was staring at his phone again. "Then that's easily solved. She has no qualifications. She doesn't have her BS or PHD, nor is she certified by the ABPN." They stared blankly at him. "The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology," he clarified in his monotone.

They blinked at him. "I knew this was a mistake," he said. A pressure increased on his arm. He looked down to see Annie's hand. She hadn't moved it. He didn't even notice until she squeezed it gently. She smiled reassuringly at him and gestured to his chair at the dinner table.

"He's not wrong," Peirce said first. The rest murmured in agreement. Then things went back to normal. Abed sat down and Annie sat next to him. She smiled at him again and passed the broccoli.

Dinner went and so did desert, brownies from Shirley, when Britta cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her. "Troy and I have an announcement to make," she said with fake confidence. "As you know…"

"We're moving in together!" Troy blurted. Britta glowered at him and he shrunk, sheepishly, into his chair.

"Ah, yes," she said and smiled nervously.

Abed looked at Troy, who avoided his gaze, and then at Annie who, by the way her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide, seemed to be shocked.

Jeff, Shirley, and Peirce gave congratulations and hugs and then rapidly made excuses to leave.

Abed stared blankly at the _Kick Puncher : Detroit_ poster.

"Abed," Troy said worriedly. No response.

"Abed, honey," Britta cooed. He didn't move but he did start to make a high-pitched keening.

"Alright, you two, out," Annie ordered. She gathered their coats and shoved them into their hands. She ignored their protests and apologies and forced them out the door. "I'll text you when you can come back." And with that she closed the door in their slack-jawed faces. The rest of the group made their excuses and rapidly left.

She turned, nodded, satisfied with that and went to Abed. He was still staring at the poster but at least the keening had stopped.

"Abed," she said. It didn't have an effect, not that she thought it would. She pushed the table aside and knelt on the floor in front of his chair. His hands were resting on his knees and she lightly put her own over them.

He felt the anomaly again.

He blinked. Annie smiled. "C'mon Abed," she cooed, "I know you're upset but I'm here. We can talk about it. Get it all sorted out." He lowered his head to look at her. She smiled. The left corner of his lip twitched upwards for a fleeting second.

"Troy is leaving me," Abed said blankly. "Everyone leaves me."

Annie felt tears welling in her eyes. "Abed, you know that's not true." He shook his head.

Annie had never seen Abed this sad. She could see it glittering in his eyes even if his face was the same impassive mask. Her heart broke. But then she had an idea.

She left him there and went into her bedroom. A few minutes later she came out with a cardboard crown on her head and her nightgown over her normal clothing. She handed him a bathrobe, red cravat, and a bowler hat. "Come with me Inspector."

And then she walked away into the Dreamatorium.

She waited nervously. _Is he even functioning enough to run a rendered Dreamscape?_

But then then door creaked open and Inspector Spacetime walked in.

A/n: So there's the first chapter. I've been working really hard to try and capture Abed while still showing the transition he's been going through for a while. Also I was deeply inspired by penny1200 who wrote _Lessons in Epic Story Telling. _If you haven't, and you ship Annie/Abed, go read it. It's really amazing. If I pulled anything from it, I apologize in advance. It wasn't my intention and I'll happily give the credit where it is due.


	2. Waking

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

They walked out of the Dreamatorium laughing.

"Good show, Geneva," Abed drawled in his smarmy British Inspector voice.

"Thank you kindly," she accented poorly and curtsied.

Abed took the hat off. "Thanks Annie, I needed that. I think I'd like to talk about it now."

Annie smiled and took off the crown and nightgown. "Okay Abed, let's sit down. Do you want to talk in the blanket fort?" His face contorted a little.

"No," he said decisively. "That would be over stimulating for a logical conversation." He paused for a moment and then quirked his head and pointed. "Can we go to your room?"

"Oh, uh," Annie stuttered, genuinely surprised.

"Ah, I've offended you," Abed said. "I'm sorry. Of course it's inappropriate for a man to enter a woman's room unsupervised."

"No, no," Annie said, screwing up her courage. "We're friends, Abed, of course you can come in my room if you think you'll be most comfortable there."

She walked to her room, and gestured to her bed. "There's only once place to sit, I'm afraid."

Abed sat on the edge but moved to the middle so he could put his back against the wall. _He looks so comfortable here. _Annie mused.

"This is appropriately non-stressful_,_" Abed decided. Annie folded her costume and put it away in a shoebox. She then pushed it under her bed. When she straightened Abed said, "Your cheeks are pink. Are you too warm?"

Annie smiled, "I'm fine, thank you." She looked shiftily at Abed before she nodded and climbed onto the bed beside him. "Go ahead. What do you want to say?"

"I have a number of concerns with this announcement," he began. "The most obvious being that Troy is my best friend and I thought he'd never leave me. Everyone leaves me Annie."

"Oh Abed, that's not true. You have a lot of friends and we're not going anywhere," she assured him.

He shook his head. "Given past data it is likely that you will all leave at one point or another. Eventually I will be too weird. I'll creep someone out, or offend them accidentally, or just be too hard to handle. Then they'll get rid of me Annie. It's happened too many times to count. It's inevitable."

"You can't really believe that, Abed. I thought we had this all sorted when you left the Dreamatorium locker simulation." Annie took his hand in hers and squeezed. "I can't make promises for anyone else, Abed, but _I_ am never going to leave you."

He felt his heart twinge. He cocked his head to the side curiously. "You will someday Annie. You are beautiful, intelligent, and funny. You're also young. It won't be long before someone realizes how amazing you are and decides to marry you. Then you'll have to leave."

Annie stared at him with her mouth open. "Do you really think that?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied with a nod. "I believe all those things to be true. You won't stay with me when some Winger has come and swept you off your feet."

"Abed," she reached out and cupped his cheek. Then she turned his head to face her. "You know that we'll still be friends even if we don't live together, right?"

His throat was tight. It was hard to speak. He had trouble categorizing the feeling. So he nodded. And she smiled. He eyes shimmered with the tears that had escaped. "But Troy isn't you, Annie," he finally choked out. He cleared his throat. "He's loyal but he's easily distracted. He'll forget about me. Slowly, but surely."

And suddenly Annie had wrapped both her arms around his lithe torso. She pulled him closer to her and buried her nose in his neck. She cried. Abed was unsure what to do. Why was she so sad and how did he help her? He wrapped his arms around her back too.

She sniffed. For a moment she was distracted by how good Abed smelled. Clean and slightly like spices. And he was warm under her fingers. Finally she let go and moved back.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. Abed reached a hand out and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Cool," he said. His heart rate had increased during their encounter.

She blinked. Then smiled, shyly looking away.

"They can move in here," Abed declared suddenly.

"What?" Annie started.

"We have two rooms," he said as he regarded her with his normal gaze.

"But Abed, they are going to want to be in the same room," Annie hinted suggestively.

"I know," he replied. "I'll stay in the blanket fort, you'll stay here and they can have the Dreamatorium."

Annie sputtered in shock. "Abed, they aren't going to let you in to render imagined dreamscapes."

"Of course not Annie, I'll take it down." He nodded decisively.

"Are," she put her hand over his again. _It's so warm. Why is he so warm?_ "Are you sure?"

"Yes. This is the best solution. We should do it now." He threw his leg over her in an effort to get down but he stopped. Straddling her he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Thank you Annie. I would have been a lot worse off without you tonight." Then he climbed off as abruptly as he'd appeared and walked out of the room.

Annie's breathing was fast. Her heart was pounding. She could tell he must have been feeling especially vulnerable if he'd shown her that much emotion all at once. She smiled softly and got up.

* * *

_What was that? _Abed wondered as he began peeling the yellow tape off the green Dreamatorium walls. His heart had accelerated. His breath was coming unevenly. He felt pulled toward her bedroom but refused to go. Instead he pulled on the tape more.

He smelled her before he heard her. She smelled like orange creamsicles. He breathed deeply. "Do you want me to help?"

"Sure," he said. She went to the opposite end of the room and began peeling the tape off.

They were silent for five minutes before Annie couldn't take it anymore. "I'm going to miss this place," she sighed.

"You are?" Abed asked, slightly surprised.

"Mhm," she murmured. "I used to come in here on my own sometimes, when things were too much. I'm not as good as running simulations as you are, but just being somewhere where I knew anyting could happen? Well, it helped. And I'm really glad we got to be Inspector Spacetime and Geneva again before you decided to take it down." She turned and smiled at him.

"You're really going to miss it?" Abed asked.

"I really am," she confirmed. He gave her a rare smile and hers widened.

"Thanks, Annie," he said.

"For what?"

"For tonight. Dinner was really good." And then Abed winked. Annie gapped at him.

"Did you, did you just wink?" She cried.

He shrugged and nodded. "I was just trying it out. I guess it doesn't work for me?"

"No, I uh, I honestly don't know, Abed. I'm too shocked. Try it again sometime."

He nodded and turned back to his work. Annie paused to text Troy.

** Code red resolved.**

** Situation under control. **

** Permission to return to base:**

** Granted**

* * *

Troy and Britta walked back in the apartment just as Annie and Abed came out of the Dreamatorium. Their arms were filled with huge piles of yellow tape.

"Annie, Abed, what's going on," Troy asked suspiciously.

"I've decided that, if you want to live here, you and Britta can have the Dreamatorium. She might not like the green in there, so you can repaint it. Annie and I already took the tape down." Britta beamed. Troy just stared at Abed. "It's okay, Troy. This is the best solution."

"Thank you, Abed," Britta gushed. "This is just wonderful."

Abed nodded. "Cool. Coolcoolcool." Then he walked into the blanket fort. Annie followed him.

"Did you want to keep this tape?" She asked.

"What? Oh, no. I was just carrying it. You can leave it in here. I'll throw it away later."

She nodded and put it down. Abed sat on the bottom bunk. His head was down.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I'm glad Troy isn't leaving the apartment," he said, "but he's still leaving the bunk, and the blanket fort. I think I'll be lonely at first."

Annie sat next to him. "Troy and Britta haven't been dating very long, Abed. They're going to need their space."

"I know, Annie. I'll just watch extra movies or something. I'll be okay." He looked at her. She still looked worried. She was chewing her bottom lip. She nodded abruptly.

"Abed, if you get lonely just come and get me, even if I'm sleeping, okay?"

"Why?" His brows knit together as he turned his head to the side.

"Because I know what it's like to be lonely," she admitted softly. "And I don't want you to feel that way if I can help it."

He reached over and grabbed her hand. He'd had a lot of physical contact for one day and it was starting to overwhelm him, but this seemed like the right move. He squeezed it softly, like she had earlier, and made eye contact. "Thanks, Annie."

She blushed a little, smiling, and looking down. "Your face is red again," he noted. "Did I embarrass you?"

"No," she declared. She cleared her throat and continued in a more composed voice. "No, Abed. That was just… really sweet."

"Sweet," he parroted. "I don't know that anyone has ever used that as a descriptor for me."

"Well, you are." She stood, dropped a kiss on his check and walked to the edge of the blanket fort. She pulled back a sheet and turned to look at him. "Promise you'll come if you need to?" She asked firmly. Abed nodded. "Cool," she mimicked.

He lifted a hand to his cheek. It tingled. "Cool cool cool," Abed said softly as she walked away.

* * *

A/n: So here's chapter two! My plan is to upload at least once a week. I have 7 chapters written already and I'm working on more every day! I also nanny during the week and am a part-time student but I'll do my best to keep up. I know how hard it can be to wait and wait and wait to get the next part of a story! 3


	3. Singing

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Britta was moved in before the weekend was over. Abed and Troy spent the time before Sunday having adventures.

"We did everything on the bro-list!" Troy exclaimed.

Annie chuckled from her place before the sink. She was washing the dishes, again, but happily. "Oh?" She inquired without looking up.

"Yes," Abed informed. "We had the best friend argument like Cory and Shawn had before Cory married Topanga, we watched a sporting even while talking about our feelings without ever looking at each other like Doctor Cox and JD in _Scrubs_, we drank beer,"

"You drank beer?" Annie asked, incredulous of that.

"Well, root beer," Troy admitted.

"I had ginger beer," Abed clarified, "It tickled my sinuses."

Annie smiled and nodded for them to continue. She still hadn't looked up from the dishes.

"And," Troy proclaimed jubilantly, "we had a fist fight!"

The dish Annie had been holding dropped back into the wash water with a soapy splash. She looked up.

Troy was grinning and Abed looked satisfied. Their clothes were torn and dirty and they both had blossoming bruises on their cheeks. Her mouth drew into a line and she glared at them. "Sit!" She demanded as she pointed down, indicating the stools on the other side of the pass-through. She went to the freezer and took out two cold packs. She wrapped them in hand-towels and passed one to each. "Ten minutes on ten minutes off," she informed them in a very business-like manner. "What I wouldn't give for a couple leeches," she muttered.

"Leeches?" Troy exclaimed worriedly, lowering the hand that held the cold pack to his face, and looking, franticly, around the room.

"Leeches increase blood circulation when applied to the tips of the phalanges," Abed roboted, "They can also be applied to fresh bruising to draw out the puddled blood and promote faster healing. Annie wanted to use them for the latter reason," he concluded with an eyebrow raise.

Annie nodded in confirmation. "But I don't have any, so ice will have to do. Ten minutes," she reminded as she lifted Troy's arm back into place.

"Don't worry Annie," Abed said. "The fist fight is a common trope. Two males get into a fight, they start throwing punches and at the end they're friends again."

"So what did you fight about?" Annie asked curiously as she went back to her dishes.

"I said _Die Hard_ was dumb," Troy said with a smile.

"And I said Football was an excuse for men to feel male companionship and sexuality without having to admit they have no real skills," Abed explained.

"Obviously," Troy said proudly, "we were both _very_ angry."

Annie sighed as she finished the last dish and set it aside to dry. "I'm glad that's over with, then. Britta should be here soon. All ready for the big move-in?"

They both nodded.

"Ready," Troy stated excitedly.

"Cool," Abed said. He looked up and met Annie's eyes. His were sad but he continued, "Cool, cool, cool."

The sound of the buzzer filled the apartment. Annie took off her pink dish gloves and walked from the kitchen. "I'll get it," she said. As she walked behind Abed she gently squeezed his bicep. The tightness in his chest squeezed more soundly for a moment but lessened as she walked out of the apartment and down to let Britta in.

* * *

The move-in went smoothly. And once everything was in Britta and Troy disappeared into the ex-Dreamatorium making excuses about putting the bed together.

"Well we know what that means," Annie grumbled as she took her hair down and ran her fingers through it.

Abed stared at Annie. It was something he'd learned not to do a long time ago. It made people uncomfortable. But he stared at Annie. She sighed and rubbed her scalp. "A tight pony maybe cute," she yawned, "but it makes your head sore."

Abed got up and went around to sit in the recliner behind her. Then he reached out and started massaging Annie's scalp. "Abed," she startled. "What are you doing?"

He pulled his hands back and she pouted involuntarily. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to stop?" Annie shook her head and leaned back to rest it against his knee. He picked up where he left off. She sighed as he gently ran his fingers over her hair, playing with it, smoothing it, combing out the knots. And when he started rubbing her scalp in earnest she moaned.

"Oh," she sat up, embarrassed, and broke contact. "I'm sorry Abed that was… uh…"

"A sound of enjoyment," he stated, mater-of-factly. "Why are you sorry you were enjoying it?"

"I'm not," she explained, ducking her head. "That," she waved her hands fumbling for a word, "that noise was embarrassing, Abed."

He cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

"Ugh," she groaned unhappily, "because, Abed, it's a… _sex_ noise."

"Well that makes sense," Abed replied, "sex is a pleasurable act, when done well. So, one would make a noise of enjoyment. I don't see why that is embarrassing either."

"It just is, okay?"

And at that moment those noises started coming out of the ex-Dreamatorium. Abed got up and stood in front of her. Her face was getting redder every moment. "Are you embarrassed now, Annie?" He asked. She wouldn't look up and the flush had gone all the way to her chest. She nodded.

Abed nodded his head once, decisively and said, "Do you want to come in the blanket fort and watch a movie? It's the farthest from their room." Annie nodded again and Abed reached a hand down to help her up. She took it and they adjourned.

* * *

They couldn't both see if one of them was in the top bunk so Abed settled her on the bottom one and went to rummage through his movies. This was a delicate situation. He had a girl in his bed for a movie. If he picked something too romantic she would infer he had intentions, or worse, he would make her emotionally vulnerable. On the other hand if he picked something too action packed she might get bored. And if he picked something too funny they wouldn't talk to each other. Finally he turned around with two DVDs.

"_Princess Bride_ or _Ever After_," he asked.

Annie smiled. "Either, they're two of my favorites."

Abed's lip quirked up momentarily. "You have good taste," he informed as he pointed at her. He popped in _Princess Bride_ and settled in next to Annie. "I'm relieved you've seen this," he admitted, "because sometimes I can't help quoting it."

She lay her head on his shoulder and the film started. By the time they'd come to the twenty minute mark Annie had to reach up and pause it. "Do you always begin conversations this way?" Abed was quipping with Wesley when the film stopped and he looked at Annie.

"I'm really thirsty," she admitted, sad she'd interrupted his movie.

He didn't know what made him say it, even though he could calculate the effect it would have, but he stood, smiled a secret smile at her and said, "As you wish."

Annie's cheeks reddened again. As he left her eyes followed him. _What is up with him lately_, she wondered. And for that matter, what was up with her.

They put in another movie after that, and another after that one. By the end she was struggling to keep her eyes open. "I should go to my bed," she yawned, lifting her head from his shoulder and moving to the edge of the bed. She was just about to stand when she felt a set of warm slender fingers wrap around her wrist.

"Don't," Abed said quietly, and sleepily.

"What?"

"I don't want you to go," he confessed. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Okay," Annie agreed. "I'll just take the top bunk." She moved to withdraw her arm but he held her just a little tighter. "Abed?"

"Just lay here with me for a little bit?" his voice was soft, and scared.

"Okay, Abed," she said as she lay down.

After a few minutes Annie thought he was asleep and, being nearly asleep herself she rolled onto her back to get up. "Annie?" Abed whispered.

"Yes, Abed," she whispered back, rolling to face him.

"You're the coolest."

She smiled and cupped his cheek, her thumb stroked his stubble gently. "You too, Abed."

* * *

A/n: every time I get a review I want to put up a new chapter. I'm not saying I /will/ mind you, but I want to. Since I've already got a little bit of a buffer anytime I write a new chapter I'll post one (even if it hasn't been a week). Other than that at least once a week!

So here's three. Hope you like it!


	4. Duet

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

When she woke up her first impression was that she was warm. She was warm and comfortable and she felt safe and content. Then she heard the breathing behind her. And although she was careful not to move, her eyes shot open. _Abed_. She'd fallen asleep in the bottom bunk. With Abed. All night. He shifted and she realized his arm was around her waist.

_I should be freaking out_, she thought. But instead she yawned, snuggled back against his warmth, and closed her eyes.

Abed smiled, his eyes still closed, making sure to keep his breathing even. He had wondered how she would react. Walking up in bed with a friend was a classic TV trope. If he was honest he was sure she'd panic. But he was really glad she hadn't. She was warm against his front and he squeezed her too him gently. She was soft, and her hair smelled good. And he was…

Asleep.

When Abed started to float to the head of consciousness he was aware of two things. First, that his need to urinate had induced his usual morning erection. The second was that someone was wiggling against it. Deciding he was still too asleep to deal with a comedic situation, Abed tried to stay as still as possible. Although it was, admittedly, difficult, judging by the amount of squirming she was doing, she had to urinate too.

Annie blinked awake. She yawned loudly, and then felt Abed move too. She'd woken him. "Sorry I woke you, Abed." She rolled over to face him. His eyes were still sleepy and his hair was rumpled. He looked adorable, and sexy. _Sexy! _

"It's okay, Annie. I need to use the bathroom anyway," his voice was gruff, and deeper than usual.

"Oh, okay." She got up and let him out.

Abed was careful to keep his back to Annie. "You need to urinate too, so I won't be long." He started out but Annie stopped him.

"Why would you say that?" She asked.

"You were squirming a lot before you woke up. Why? Do you not need to pee?" He quirked his head at her and she shook hers.

"No, I do."

"Then I better go, so I can go, so you can go," and he left.

"Sexy?" She muttered to herself as she walked to her room.

* * *

Abed and Troy had the apartment to themselves for a while. They'd popped in a movie but Abed was distracted.

"Troy, I need to talk to you," Abed said suddenly. Troy looked over to the recliner on his left.

"Is something wrong, man?" He asked. Abed turned off the TV. "Uh oh, something _is_ wrong. Is this about Britta's noise level?"

"No." Abed said. "This is about me."

"Oh good, because I tried to gag her once and I got an hour lecture on the objectification of women." He looked uncomfortable and then asked, "So what is this about?"

"Something is happening between me and Annie," he stated bluntly.

Troy's eyes grew wide, "Are… Abed, are you and Annie _sleeping_ together?"

Abed turned his head to the side, "Of course not, Troy. I would have told you that right away. Male tropes demand I relate all conquests to you as my best friend."

"Oh," he looked visibly relieved. "So what is it then?"

"Something's been different between us since that day you went to lunch with Britta," he explained in his cool monotone. "I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Different how," Troy asked suspiciously.

"I don't know. First she was mad at me and then she was determined to find me, and then she was sad that I thought you all would put me in a metaphorical locker. And then she said we both needed to be more comfortable winging it."

"Okay, all that sounds like Annie," Troy admitted. "I don't get what's wrong."

"She tried to fix me," he explained. "She tried to change the engine in the Dreamatorium so that I had to think of other people first. And then she went through an elaborate simulation so she could apologize. I don't think she actually wants me to change, Troy."

"I don't see the problem, man."

"It's not a problem so much as it is confusing. She changed our dynamic. She was a control freak so she wanted me to fit her parameters. But when I didn't she changed them. She went off-book. And now our whole dynamic is off." Troy just stared at him blankly. "I don't know what to do, Troy."

He looked so lost and helpless. Troy reached over and gave his a swift pat on the shoulder. "Just be yourself, Abed. Whatever is happening will unfold eventually and you'll figure it out. You're the smartest guy I know."

Abed nodded distractedly. "You're probably right, Troy." He turned the movie back on and took a sip of special drink.

* * *

When the girls got home Abed went straight into his blanket fort. He lay on his bottom bunk running the simulations. Every time he thought he had one that made sense it would fall apart. There was just no logical reason for what was happening. And since his method wasn't doing any good, he decided to follow Troy's advice.

He got up, went into the living room and sat in his recliner.

Annie was doing dishes. She must not have noticed that he came out, and it looked like Britta and Troy were in their room again. She was singing softly.

Abed found himself putting the remote down, unwilling to break the spell she'd cast on the apartment. He started to hum the song to himself as she sang it.

Finally her rendition of _A Whole New World_ ended. Abed got up and went to the kitchen. "I didn't know you sang, Annie."

She started and blushed. "I thought you were in the blanket fort. I'm sorry if I bothered you."

"You didn't bother me," he said, turning his head to look at her. "It was nice."

She smiled, he smiled. "I'm not very good at doing both parts at the same time. I can do one or the other."

Abed nodded. "Go ahead."

Annie blanched. "What?"

"Do you want to be Aladdin or Jasmine?" He asked. She just started at him, a little afraid. So he opened his mouth and sang "I can show you the world..."

Annie remembered the Dreamatorium, and their adventures there. He'd shown her more than one world. "Shining, shimmering, splendid," he continued in his wavering baritone. She smiled. "Tell me, princess," he reached out and grabbed Annie's hand, "when did you last let your heart decide." He reached out and grabbed the dish brush, handing it to her like a flower.

Suddenly he was behind her, sweeping his hand across her vision, gesturing at all the things he was showing her, "I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder." Then he twirled her around to face him, his hands gripped her waist firmly. "Over," he lifted her and she squealed. "Sideways," he dipped her to the left. "And under," he grabbed her hands and slid her under his legs and across the floor. Before she could react he was behind her again. He leaned over her left shoulder. "A whole new world, a new fantastic point of view." And then he leaned over her right. "No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming…"

And because he'd done such a good job making it feel real, and fun, it felt silly not to sing her part, "A whole new world, a dazzling place I never knew. But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear," and she found herself looking back at him, "that now I'm in a whole new world with you." She trailed off. There was something about that gaze. It was so intense, focused on nothing in the world but her. She stopped singing, and just stared back, enraptured in that look. His thumb stroked her bicep where he griped her.

Someone clapped and the moment was broken. Abed dropped his hand and turned to look at the noise. Troy and Britta were giving a raucous applause. "That was awesome!" Troy declared.

For some reason Abed felt angry at his best friend. He stood, helped Annie up, and had them both bow. "Thank you," he said. Then he gestured to his leading lady, giving her all the praise. Annie curtsied, and looked at the floor. "No, encore's please, we don't have anything prepared."

"So," Britta chimed, "What brought this on?"

"Annie was singing while she did the dishes," Abed informed in his usual clipped tones. "It would have been better in the Dreamatorium," he continued wistfully, "But we did get interrupted, so maybe it wouldn't have been." That last part come out a little more harshly than he meant, but no one seemed to notice.

They descended into movies, and popcorn, and Annie resting her head on his knee. All in all, it was a good night.

* * *

A/n: Chapter four is live! I had a lot of fun writing this one. It just feels like even without the Dreamatorium life with Abed would be full of wonderfully mundane things made fantastic and cheerful. Hope you like it, things are picking up now! I don't like to beg for reviews but if you read it just shoot a little note if you want. It really does help keep me motivated.


	5. Weird and Wonderful

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Annie went to her own bed after the movie. Troy and Britta scampered off to their room. Abed changed, got ready for bed, and climbed into the top bunk. But he couldn't sleep. Too many things were happening in his head. He missed Troy, and their bedtime antics. He missed having someone around. He just didn't like being alone.

And then, of course there was the Annie problem. By this point it was obvious to him that he felt something for her beyond friendship. But there were a lot of obstacles to figuring out what. He was Abed, he didn't get emotional subtext. He felt things, but he didn't really have the schema to interpret them or know how to express them. He related to people through movies. And sure, it had occurred to him that that was one of the reasons he could connect with Annie better than most people. In a lot of ways she operated within the parameters of a movie. But that meant a few things. It meant that when she didn't it was ten-times more confusing than with other people. And it meant she was supposed to be with the leading man, the hero. He wasn't a hero.

She was Annie. And he was just Abed.

He didn't notice he was singing _Somewhere Out There_ until halfway through his second rendition. By then it seemed to be helping so he kept singing. He was feeling calmer, but still lonely.

When he started it a fourth time he heard a rustle of cloth. When the duet part picked up, he heard Annie.

"Somewhere out there, someone's saying a prayer. That we'll find one another, in that big somewhere out there."

She climbed into the bottom bunk, and they finished the song. After a brief pause, Abed said, "I like to hear you sing."

"I like to sing with you," Annie replied. "Somehow I don't feel embarrassed, or silly, or immature when it's with you." They were quiet for a while then. They were both thinking. Finally, Annie spoke. "Were you lonely, Abed?"

At first she thought he'd fallen asleep, but after a long silence he answered, "Yes."

"Want to talk about it?" That amused him a little. How could he tell her the things he was trying to understand? When he didn't say anything she tried another track. "Why didn't you come get me?"

Being pulled so quickly out of thought was jarring. "What?"

"You promised me that if you were lonely, you'd come and get me," she reminded.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Even if I was asleep, Abed," she reminded.

"I didn't want to bother you," he admitted. He was feeling more vulnerable than usual.

"You never bother me," she said as she stifled a yawn.

"That's not true, Annie. I can enumerate many times when you have been annoyed or angered by me. Several where you specifically told me to 'stop bothering' you. I don't want you to get fed up with me. I don't want to be in that metaphorical locker." It was a long speech, for Abed, on something so personally emotional. He felt the bed shift. Annie stood up and tried to look at him but she was just too short to see over the top bunk. So she went to the side and climbed up it. Abed scooched to press his back against the wall so she could fit. He thought he ought to sit up, but was too fatigued to do so. She took her time and settled in before she took his hand in hers and entangled their fingers.

"Abed, I need you to really listen to what I am going to say. That means no forming counter-arguments in your head while I'm still speaking, and no thinking up applicable movie references, okay?" She squeezed his fingers a little and he shifted. "Abed, it's too dark to see you. I don't know if you said yes or no."

"I agree to your terms, Annie," he said, quirking a little smile in the dark.

"I'm not going to say you've never upset me. We're friends, and we live together, so that's going to happen. But, Abed, there is a very big difference between sometimes being upset by someone, and being fed up with them. To be fed up with you I would have to decide that the things that are hard to deal with outweigh the things that make you wonderful."

"No one thinks I'm wonderful, Annie, they think I'm weird," Abed interrupted.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't do that," she pointed out.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

"Besides, being weird and being wonderful aren't mutually exclusive, Abed. I would argue that your weirdness and your wonderfulness are inextricably entangled. You have to take one with the other." She got no response and started to worry. "Okay," she tried, "let's play a game. You give me a reason you are weird, and I will give you a reason you are wonderful."

"How do you win the game," he asked softly, interest piqued.

"The first one who doesn't have a comeback loses," she declared.

"And what does the winner get?"

"A boon. A favor." She said with a smile.

"I know what a boon is, Annie," he said, a little more energetically. "When we're done with me can we do you?"

He was so excited she couldn't help but say, "Sure," even though she knew it would be embarrassing. "You start."

"I'm blunt."

"You're honest."

"I'm bad at understanding cues."

"You're good at understanding human character."

"I'm bad at talking about things."

"You're a good filmmaker."

"I sometimes offend people and I don't know why."

"You make the same-old-same-old of everyday a new and exciting adventure. Even without the Dreamatorium."

He stopped for a minute and smiled about that. Then he remembered it was his turn. "I don't know how to show people how I feel about them."

Annie's voice broke a little when she answered. "That's not one," she assured him. "You do know how, you just don't do it like other people do. You show it like Abed."

He was stunned and confused and didn't say anything for a long time. Finally Annie piped up, "Do you give up Abed?"

"Do you mean them?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"All the things you said are good about me. Do you really believe them, or were you just saying them to make me feel better because you're a good friend?"

Annie reigned in her tears and said, in her most convicted voice, "I believe each and every one of them, Abed. And so many more."

He lifted their joined hands and pressed the back of hers against his cheek. "Thank you," he said. It was barely a whisper. Then he put their hands down and said excitedly, "Your turn!"

"Oh, uh, okay," she stumbled. "I'm a control freak."

"You're organized. I find that to be an admirable trait."

"I tend to be more worried about grades than how much sleep I get."

"You're driven. No one ever won a war by sleeping."

"Everyone thinks I'm too young to understand things about life."

"Well they're just wrong, Annie. You understand a lot more things about life than I do."

"I'm an addict."

"You're a _recovering_ addict. They're very different things, Annie. I know, I did the research."

"I…" Annie trailed off. "What research?"

"I was researching the effects of narcotics and the stages of recovery," he said simply.

"For a movie?"

"No."

"Then why?"

He didn't want to freak her out, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "Because of you, Annie."

Her face screwed up in confusion. He couldn't see it, and he might not have been able to decipher it anyway. So she said, "Abed, I don't understand? Are you worried I was going to bring drugs into the apartment?"

"What? No, of course not," he assured her. "I wanted to be aware of what happened to you because it was a big part of your origins. I also wanted to know what the warning signs look like so that if you need help I can help you before you relapse. I'm not good at reading actions or emotions, so I might have missed it, but I'm good at looking for other things like increased evasiveness, loner tendencies, mood swings, off your cycle of course, and irrational behavior. I'm especially good at that last one."

She pulled her hand out of his and curled into a ball. "You think I'm going to relapse," she whimpered.

"No. I've upset you. I didn't intend to. Listen," he said. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "This is how you comfort someone, right?" He asked off-handedly. She nodded against his chest. "Good. Listen, Annie, I think you are a strong woman. But we all have times in our life where things are too much to handle. When I have a time like that I go catatonic. When I do, it's you who brings me out. Your pattern indicated that your response might be to relapse. If that happens I want to be able to do for you what you've done for me. It's not something I think is inevitable. But it might happen. I've run the simulations."

She moved back from him slightly. He didn't let go but his arms loosened enough for her to look up at him. "And you think you're not wonderful?" She sniffled. She pressed her forehead against his. "Do you know why I wanted you to come to me, Abed?"

He was breathing in her creamsicle scent, it made the memory vivid in his mind. "You said it was because 'you know what it's like to be lonely and you don't want me to feel that way if you can help it'," he parroted.

"Yes and no. How do I say this in a way you'll understand?" She paused for a moment. He could feel her worrying her lip. Finally she said, "In the town where I'm from, people think I'm odd. So I know what it's like to be… different. And I know how lonely that can be."

"Beauty and the Beast," he identified gesturing with his index finger, which was still behind her back. "The musical, not the Disney movie. Both have their merits." She chuckled. She could tell he was feeling better. He pulled her a little tighter and rubbed their noses together. She laughed. "Being weird isn't always bad, Annie."

"That's what I've been telling you," she said, yawning. Their heads fell away from each other to rest on the pillows.

"I know, Annie. I get it now," he assured. She snuggled against his chest and he felt warmth bloom there.

Unable to identify it, and too tired and content to try, Abed closed his eyes and finally fell asleep as Annie hummed a familiar song from the same musical.

* * *

Annie awoke cramped and sore. The top bunk was about half the size of the bottom. She'd slept well enough but she needed a hot shower to work the kinks out. She stretched, wincing. Abed shifted and blinked his eyes open. Annie turned to look at him. "We're making a bad habit of this," she whispered.

Abed looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Annie. We don't have to do it anymore." His head was still tired, but he felt a twinge in his chest. Unable to connect it to her rejection he was confused.

"That's not…" she trailed off. She reached over and brushed his sleep-tousled hair out of his eyes. "If this is what you need, I'm okay with it, Abed." She smiled. He smiled back. "But in the future, bottom bunk only. I feel like hell warmed over."

"Why would hell need warmed?" He asked. "Isn't it perpetually hot?" She ruffled his hair.

"How would I know," she replied, "I'm Jewish." She moved to the edge and hopped out of the bed. "Owwwww," she whined.

"Watch out for that first step, it's a doozy," he quoted sleepily.

"Groundhog Day," she replied as she shuffled out of the blanket fort and into bathroom.

And just like that, Abed knew how to connect with Annie.

A/n: Well I was super productive today and wrote not one but two, count 'em, two chapters! So here's one for you all. I'm get them written up through 12 now so, yeah!

Enjoy! Love you guys!


	6. Revival

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

(Huge A/n at the end of this chapter, beware.)

* * *

"Abed," Britta yelled, "my hair curler is not a laser gun!" Abed and Troy stopped their simulation. Abed was ducked behind his recliner, taking cover, and Troy was – "Troy get off of the table, we eat on there!" Troy shrugged apologetically at Abed and climbed down. Abed stood and walked over to Britta.

"Sorry," he said as he handed her the curling iron. She snatched it from him. "I wouldn't be worried about the table though. Annie washes it every day before and after dinner."

"Not the point," she growled as she stormed off. The bedroom door slammed.

"Sorry, man," Troy said.

"Don't worry, she's about to start her cycle. I anticipated increased hostility. I wouldn't have suggested we play but I thought she was out," Abed explained.

"Man, you knew that? Why didn't you give me a heads up?" He lamented.

"Britta is bound to be 22-35% more upset if she finds out I still know her cycle. I got rid of the chart, but I have it memorized. Don't tell Britta," he implored.

Troy smiled and they shared their handshake.

"Man, having a girlfriend is hard," Troy sighed as he trudged to the kitchen. He got out a root beer and handed one to Abed.

They clinked, sipped, and then Abed said, "I thought you had a lot of girlfriends in high school."

Troy started apprehensively, "Yeah, about that… I was starting quarterback, and the ladies were all crazy about me but," he looked around to make sure no one could hear him, "I was terrified of them," he admitted.

"I don't understand, you have a female phobia? But you're fine around Annie, and Britta, and Shirley."

"I could explain to you why that list is ridiculous but I won't. I'm not afraid of women, Abed, it was just the stress of being so popular. Every girl wanted to be my girlfriend and I just couldn't deal with the drama that came with that." Troy took a long gulp of his drink.

"So you never had a girlfriend?" Abed asked.

"Not for very long," he admitted with a shrug. "This is the most serious relationship I've ever been in."

"I've had more girlfriends than you," Abed said offhandedly. Troy sputtered on his soda. "Please do not take that as a challenge like when you wanted to prove you were more athletic."

"What?" he coughed and then took a breath to steady himself. "How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Four that make the cut, I think. Only my relationship with Robin lasted more than a year, and it was unconventional to say the least," he explained.

"Robin?"

"She was the secret service agent who came to Greendale the day Vice President Biden was visiting," he said causally. "She stayed that night and observed me watching a movie. We only went out together twice. Mostly she just observed me because I was a perceived threat to national security. It was an excuse to spend time together."

"Is… is that why you said how to make napalm when we were covering the elections?" Troy squeaked.

"Yes," Abed affirmed with a smile.

"And are you two… is she still 'observing' you?"

"No, I called it off the day after the Biology final. Conflicting story arcs."

"Was that an explanation?"

"Yes," he said again, but he didn't expand his explanation.

"Oh, okay. Well, I can't believe I'm about to say this: since you're more experienced, I guess, do you have any advice?"

"I do," Abed said. "But you can't tell Britta you heard it from me."

"Deal." And they shook again.

"I suggest that you not bring up that she is going to be, or potentially is, on her cycle. Instead tonight ask her to stay in your room with you. She'll probably think you mean sex," he was waving his finger and cocking his head in typical monologue fashion. "Derail that by explaining you just want to have a movie night, just the two of you. Salty snacks, ice cream, and chocolate," he instructed. "No alcohol, that will make her dehydration worse. Stick to water. Steer clear of action, but don't have too many chick flicks either. Leave some room for comedy or she'll just cry a lot. Have a box of tissues too. "

"You are _awesome_," Troy praised. "How do you not have a girlfriend all the time?"

"That's easy. I'm weird. Eventually they can't look past that no matter how many period parties I throw them. You can steal that if you want. But don't pull it out until after she's already watched a movie. She might get angry."

"Alright. I need to go the store and get stuff. I'm doing this tonight!" He put down his bottle and rushed to the door. "Thanks, Abed," he shouted as he closed the door.

Abed smiled a little. "You're welcome, Troy," he said to no one. He downed his soda, picked up Troy's bottle and put them both in the recycling. Annie would be annoyed if she found empty bottles on the counter.

He stood, briefly considering something before he pulled out his phone.

**From: Abed**

**Annie, do you have plans tonight?**

From: Annie

No. Why?

**From: Abed**

**Troy and Britta have a night in**  
**their room planed. Was thinking**  
**maybe we could watch movies in**  
**the blanket fort?**

From: Annie

Sure! Do you want me to get anything  
on my way home?

**From: Abed**

**We're almost out of special drink mix?**

From: Annie

I can get that but I was thinking more  
like snacks or alcohol?

**From: Abed**

**I don't drink. But get what you like.**

From: Annie

Oh, I don't want to drink alone.  
That's a little depressing.  
Nevermind.

**From: Abed**

**Get what you like. I'm feeling**  
**adventurous today. It's not like**  
**I never drink. Tonight we drink!**

From: Annie

:)

"I have to pick a movie," Abed noted to no one. Then he made for his collection.

* * *

After two hours he'd made three piles. The first consisted of animated movies. It had a lot of them but the premise was more or less the same. Arguably. A Pixar movie wasn't the same as a Dreamworks and neither were the same as a Disney. The second had Geek cult classics, _Serenity, Little Shop of Horrors_, all the John Hughes. The last one was filled with classic RomComs,_ Bridget Jones's Diary, Pride and Prejudice, Someone Like You, The Ugly Truth, P.S. I Love You, _and more.

He'd been stumped on picking one for the last twenty minutes. What did he lead with? Nothing too heavy but he had to build the experience. _Up_ would be too sad too quickly, e.i. in the first five minutes. But a Hughes might be too retro.

He was still pondering when Annie came in.

"I'm home," she singsonged.

"Hi," Abed said without getting up.

"Where are Troy and Britta?" She asked as she deposited her bags on the counter.

"Already squirreled away for the night," he explained offhandedly.

"And what are you doing?" She walked over and bent over his shoulder. From his seat on the floor her hair came down around his head like a curtain.

"I'm trying to choose our movies for tonight." He explained his system as he gestured to the piles. Annie listened to his complex explanations and then laughed. He looked up at her. "I don't understand what is funny," he said.

She smiled down at him. He was upside down in her vision. "All of these movies are options?" She asked. He nodded. "Then how about I pick one, and you go set up the snacks and drinks?"

He thought about it for a minute. "I guess that's okay." He got up and retrieved the bags.

Annie pondered the stacks. There were so many of her favorites here, as well as a fair number that Abed had insisted she watch. She couldn't decide if she should grab a favorite or one she hadn't seen yet. "This _is_ hard," she admitted.

She spotted _Aladdin _near the top of the animated stack. She smiled softly as she remembered singing with Abed in the kitchen earlier in the week. Then she remembered that feeling when she stopped singing. She shook her head. If she hadn't figured it out in the last four days she wasn't going to now. She almost left _Aladdin_ where it was but she snatched it up anyway. "I'll just have a few drinks first," she mumbled. "Then I won't care how ridiculous we're being."

She walked into the blanket fort and held up the DVD. "Up for a repeat performance," she asked jokingly.

Abed looked up and saw her selection. He'd been worried if he started with _Aladdin _she'd feel uncomfortable. He quirked a half smile and said, "_Aladdin_. Cool. Cool, cool, cool."

A/n:

First I want to say how grateful I am to those of you enjoying this story. I'm really happy I could share it with you.

I'll get into personal responses later right now I want to address an anonymous review I got today.

":This story is starting to slow down too much in the way you are telling it. I  
liked the first chapter a lot but the ones after it haven't been as good. They  
sound exactly like "Lessons in Epic Storytelling" and now it sounds like  
"Loose Ends." I will keep reading though because I hope you can fix it and  
have more original ideas."

I'll address the 'slow' part first. About a week has happened in the story so far. So no, I'm not just going to have it jump from 'we're friends' to 'now we're in love and happy whee' because A: that's not how life works, and B: that's bad story-telling. I've posted 5 chapters in 7 days and I think that's pretty speedy by anyone's standards.

As for sounding like the 2 other stories mentioned. I can see that. I did draw inspiration from "Epic Lessons" as I said in my first a/n. I went out of my way to only write in here things that make sense for Abed (for me) here. The 'just Abed' theme is one I see a lot and I think is true. He would probably have a complex about not being good enough for someone who he has such a high opinion of. I thought it fit him well. However, I purposely did not have him thinking of himself as the director or someone outside the script. I don't think the concept of 'the dynamic' or 'the book' are original to any story but rather original to the show.

The other thing I can see is the part where Abed talks about researching drug addictions. This was directly inspired from one of the stories (although I can't remember which). I kept it, and tried to write it as my own, because that made a huge amount of sense for Abed's character. If Annie means that much to him and he wants to be able to help her the way she helped him it would be the natural next step for him to research this particular part of her 'origins'.

So I hope I've addressed this person's concerns. If they find my story too slow or two similar they are welcome to stop reading. I won't even be mad. It's okay. You can't please everyone and this is how I'm telling my story. As I said I recently finished chapter 12 and the real conflicts are coming into play there. So if you are having similar feelings I guess wait until then? If you want?

Okay done.

Now for the fun stuff:

Moonsilver 09: You have got me writing and updating obsessively! So everyone has you to thank:) I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope I can keep up the amazing!

Anon: I think they're pretty adorable too. Thank /you/ for reading. I'll keep writing.

Brittany's Diaries: I've always seen the Abed/Annie friendship as being a really sweet kind of playful thing. I love writing them together.

Mikeyt1134: I've been really attentive to the way I am writing the characters _especially_ Abed. His voice can be hard to write especially about more emotional topics.

Bigmikeyt: your review came hot on the heels of the anonymous one and it went a long way to assuage the sting. I'm so pleased you liked the double update and I will keep posting as regularly as possible.

Guests:

"I am so in love with this story. The only thing more amazing then the bro list was Annie's reaction to their fighting, she's such a mother hen! Excellent movie choice and super adorable ending!" – I /loved/ writing that part. The bro list was fun to think of, I dredged up some serious references from my youth! I also thought Annie was likely to be upset at them /and/ know about unusual medical techniques if only because she's always reading:)

"Seriously, I have read this story like six times and I still can't get enough! I don't know why, but I think my favourite line is the one in chapter two about Annie smelling like orange creamsicles. It's just such an Annie thing to smell like, and such an Abed thing to know what it is." - I'm honored that you are so absorbed in this story. I hope you keep reading. There's a part coming up soon I predict you will especially like.

"Another good chapter. My favorite parts of these stories (and the most difficult to write) are Abed's POV"– Abed's my favorite, followed closely by Annie, and I've been doing my research, scouring the episodes to find textual support for my fandom of their pairing. Because Abed is my favorite I take extra care to not only make his parts as accurate as I can but also fun to read. I think it could be easy to either lose his voice or forget that under that stoic logic there's a deeply funny and charming person.

Thank you to everyone who reads even if you don't review. I write for you as much as for me. Love!


	7. Encore

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Abed gestured to direct Annie's attention to the spread. Literally. He'd taken the biggest quilt off the far wall, where there was a normal wall anyway, and laid it on the floor. The snacks and drinks were lined up across the right side and there were pillows propped against the edge of the bottom bunk. Annie put a hand to her chest. It wasn't like the picnic she'd planned for Troy and that girl for 'A Night Under the Stars' but it was a lot of thought. And it was very Abed.

Abed watched her reaction, head slightly turned. "Not what I was expecting," he said. "Are you unhappy with how I put things out?"

She blinked and looked at him. "What? No Abed, this is just… really nice. Thank you." She gave him quick a hug, which he returned. He felt pleased for making her happy.

When she released he asked, "Do you want to change into your pajamas? I want to wear pajamas."

"It's only 6 o'clock," she laughed.

"I want to wear pajamas," he restated. "I don't see why what time it is has anything to do with that. We're not leaving. We can wear pajamas."

"You know what? You're right," she declared with a nod. "I'm going to get into my pajamas. "

She left and Abed pulled on his dark blue sleep pants and a sleeveless shirt. They didn't have the AC turned up very far and it was only going to get warmer when the TV had been on for a while. Annie returned a short time later with her hair down, and wearing a shorts-cami combo with little flowers on them. She twirled for him and Abed gave her a thumbs-up. He took her hand and helped her sit, then put the movie in.

"I like the previews," he said as he reached for a glass. "I like to see how many of them are relevant now."

"Me too," she said. "Can you mix me an apple cider and whiskey?"

"Sure, how many parts?" He asked reaching for the mini fridge.

"One part whiskey, two parts cider," she said. He mixed it and handed it to her. He watched intently as she sipped. "This is great. Do you want to try it?"

He tilted his head and considered. "Why not," he asked. He took the offered glass and took a drink. "Tastes like cider," he declared.

"That's why I like it," she admitted. Abed reached for the liquids. "What are you doing?"

"I want one," he told her as he mixed. "I think I want equal parts though, so I can still taste the whiskey."

"I didn't take you for one of those," she smirked as she sipped.

"One of those what," He asked, sitting back and taking a drink.

"One of those people who likes to taste their alcohol. I figured since you love sweet things so much you'd prefer to, you know, not… taste it?" She finished uncertainly.

"I like the sweetness of it, but I also like the bite the whiskey gives it. I don't know if that makes me one of those or not." He admitted.

Annie smiled. "Me either." She reached out and they clinked their glasses.

Half an hour into the movie Annie was done with her second drink. "You're surprisingly tipsy for having only had two drinks," Abed commented as Annie shook her glass at him for a refill.

"So?" She said with a smile. "We're having a party. A private picture party," she giggled. He took her glass but set it down instead of moving to make her another drink.

She pouted at him. He downed the rest of his drink and put that glass down too. "You don't need to make Disney face, Annie," he said as he stood.

He held out his hand. The movie dialog and his overlapped, "Do you trust me?"

Annie looked up at him, confused. "What?"

"Do you trust me?" He repeated as Ali schmoosed the princess.

"Yeees?" Annie answered warily reaching up. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. In the movie the music swelled.

"You asked for a repeat performance," he said by way of explanation before he started singing again. "I can show you…"

When the song ended Annie fell to the floor in a fit of giggles. "Oh, Abed, that was so much fun," she laughed again. He stood over her watching. He smiled.

"I had fun too," he said. She wiggled back up to rest against the pillows. He looked at her a moment longer than he should have. If she hadn't been distracted it probably would have made her feel uncomfortable but as it was she didn't notice. Finally he turned to make her a third drink.

* * *

"I love when they fly off into the moon together," Annie sighed. She was sitting with her legs crossed, her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands.

"You're swooning," Abed noted as he chewed on a piece of ice.

"I am not," she objected. She straightened to a sit and glared at him.

"You were," he said unmovingly. "You sighed and everything."

"You're just jealous," she barbed as the credit music played in the background.

"The pop releases are never as good as the soundtrack," he noted. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Because I didn't swoon when _you_ were Aladdin," she challenged, smiling.

"I wasn't Aladdin," he corrected, "I was Abed. I was just singing and dancing with you. I wasn't being a character."

"Oh," Annie said. "That's probably a worse insult. Now I've accused you of being jealous that I didn't swoon for _you_."

"In either case I think I could make you swoon if I wanted to," he said.

"As Aladdin _and_ as Abed?" She asked incredulously.

"Sure."

"I doubt it," she teased.

"Okay, which do you want first?" he turned to look at her.

She blinked and him blankly. "What?"

"Would you prefer I try as Aladdin or Abed first. I'll do both to prove my point." He was feeling a little drunk but he was pretty sure he could still get in character.

"Uh…A…Aladdin?"

He moved so he had his legs tucked under him. Then his shoulders slumped. His face fell into a defeated sadness. He hung his head. "Rif-raf, street rat, I don't buy that," He started singing. Then he looked up at the wall as if gazing out a window, his eyes shining with longing. "If only they'd look closer. Would they see a poor boy? No siree," his gaze fell back to his lap, he stared at his hands. His voice wavered. "They'd find out. There's so much more… to me." He turned to look at Annie. Her eyes sparkled with tears, she'd collapsed back into her previous position. "Someday," he said as he gazed deeply into her eyes, "things are going to change."

And Annie sighed. Abed reverted.

"You swooned," he pointed.

Annie blinked. "I, I did not." Then she realized how she was sitting, again, and she huffed. "Okay, maybe I did." She sat up straight and squared her shoulders. "But I won't this time. I'm ready for you."

Abed smiled. "I'm not going to do it now," he explained. "We need to pick a new movie." He stood. "My turn," he said and dashed out the blanket fort.

* * *

A/n: next chapter is double long and stuff happens! Yeah I know, helpful.

I'm not going to call anyone out but it seems like people have a lot of similar concerns so I'm just going to put this little but down here to talk about what I'm hearing, why I'm doing the things I'm doing, and yeah, a little bit about how I feel. Sorry about that. But I have feelings and sometimes I have to talk about them. Britta would be proud.

You guys realize that the reason I have them taking down the Dreamatorium is because of the end of season 3 right? Where they are taking it down and it is implied, again in the show, that Britta is moving in. I mean I went out of my way (in future chapters) to not have Jeff be a conflict. Annie is definitively not getting pregnant. I think the problem is that all these things that are happening in a lot of stories are happened because we all kind of see that being the natural progression for the characters. I have Abed breaking down and wailing because that's what Abed does in the show (remember the clips they do when they're all in therapy and the cut to day light savings?). I made it a point to talk about Robin because the show hadn't wrapped her up. I didn't bring her in, I just established that after the Biology final (and therefore after the Dreamatorium trip with Annie) Abed felt the need to call it off. I feel like I'm just trying to be through and instead I'm being accused of stealing.

I guess what I'm saying is I already have a bunch more written and this is just the tiniest beginning of this story. It's kind of disheartening to hear people say this story is like X,Y, and Z. I know that it has a similar start but that's not because I wanted to steal someone else's ideas it's because I felt that this would be the natural progression for the characters. I did try to make it my own. Also, you're referencing stories I haven't even read. I read Lessons in Epic Storytelling. I didn't read Loose Ends or Door Number Two as far as I know. And I don't want to now because I don't want them to influence this story.

I think what I have is going to be really good. But it's kind of hard for me to get to writing now because I'm so bummed. I have up to chapter 12 done. So I hope I can get my mojo back before those chapters run out.

We'll see a little more Troy soon, and then more Britta so don't worry about that!

I appreciate all the support. I really am trying to do right by you guys!

Love!


	8. Shift

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Annie mixed another drink while Abed picked a movie from one of the piles in the living room. "I can measure," she said, more to convince herself than anything. She took a sip and nodded. "Tastes fine to me."

In the other room Abed was scouring the choices. _Maybe something with less singing, this time._ He was feeling a little too out of sorts to keep that kind of thing going. Finally he picked up a case, did the 'way to go' fist pump, and walked back into the fort.

"What is it, what is it?" Annie asked, bouncing up and down excitedly. He was having trouble not staring at her. "Abed!" She squealed, but she didn't cross her arms over her chest like she usually did.

"_The Wedding Singer,_" he replied. He briefly flashed her the case before putting the movie in. When he settled back down he noticed she was sipping from her glass. "Did you make that?" He asked, eyeing her warily.

"Mhm," she replied.

"Is it all cider?"

"Uh!" She made a little affronted noise.

He put on serious face and held his hand out. "Hand it over."

"Why?" She whined.

"I'm going to taste it. I want to make sure you're not trying to get me drunk alone." She pouted but handed the less than half-full glass to him. He took a sip, then sputtered. "This is mostly whiskey." He stated. "I retract my former statement. How full was this glass?"

She looked sheepishly at him. He held his finger to the halfway point. "Here?" She shook her head. He raised it to three-quarters. "This full?" She shook her head again. "All the way full?" She didn't answer. Her face was flushed, whether from the alcohol or the interrogation was uncertain. "Annie?"

"It's my second glass," she folded. She still wouldn't look at him.

"Annie," he shook his head. "From now on, I mix the drinks." He downed hers, made her a pure cider, and mixed himself another.

She pouted when she sipped it. "This is a little kid's drink."

"Apple cider tastes good," he told her. "When you're done with it you can have another adult drink." She started to take large gulps. "Slowly," he ordered, pointing at her. She scowled, but put the cup beside her.

The movie started. "My head is heavy anyway," she complained petulantly as she rested it on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and sipped the drink in his other hand. The eighties music blared. They hummed along.

* * *

Annie was crying. Her cider was gone. Her glass went unfilled as she sniffled. "He lo…oves her so much, Abed." She said between small choking sobs. "And she's with the wrong guy!"

"It's a classic plot," he explained as she cried on his shoulder.

"Who would want to be with that guy?" She asked. She sat up and waved angrily at the screen. "He's a tool. He's a jerk. He's... Jeff from Spanish 101!"

Abed smiled. "Yeah," he agreed.

"And Adam Sandler's character…" she said, standing and pacing.

"Robbie," Abed cut in.

"Robbie," she continued. "Is sweet, and attentive, and helpful… and she's just… just… dumb!" She fell to her knees in front of Abed. "Why is she so dumb?" She asked dejectedly.

Abed considered. "She's just afraid of change," he said. "I can sympathize with that. Change is scary. At least with Glenn she knows she'll always be provided for, and they've been together a long time. That's commitment."

"But he's _not _commited!" She slammed her fist on the floor. At first she was quiet but then the pain set in. "Owwwwwwwwww," She whined shaking her hand limply. "Ow, ow, ow, ow."

"Did you hurt your hand," Abed asked as he reached for it. She pulled it back and pouted at him. "Let me see, Annie." Cautiously, she held it out. "Wiggle your fingers." She did, with minimal wincing. He prodded, gently, with his index finger. She didn't object. "One last test," he told her. She braced herself and nodded.

He lifted the hand to his face and turned it over, inspecting it closely. Then he pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand. He pushed her fingers closed around it. When he looked up she was staring at him. When she didn't say anything he said, "Annie?"

She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her head in his chest and nuzzled there, gently. "All better," she murmured. She didn't move.

Abed wrapped his arms around her, the bare skin of his arms and hers felt warm where they touched, and rested his head atop hers for several minutes until curiosity got the better of him. "Annie, are you awake?"

"Of course," she said. Her voice was still muffled by his chest. "It's only, like, nine."

"You're drunk," he pointed out.

"So are you," she accused.

"The movie," he said.

"I don't want to move." She nuzzled against him again.

"Okay," he said. He reached over and took her abandoned pillow. "Sit up and face the TV," he instructed. She whimpered in protest but did it.

He positioned the pillow against his chest then reached out and gripped her shoulders gently. He pulled her back. She rested against him, now able to see the movie. He handed her her drink, and finished his own. Her arms draped lazily over his legs. "I like this," she mused. He put his glass down and gingerly lay his arms alongside hers.

His fingers absentmindedly stroked her exposed skin. Gooseflesh sprung up, rough under his fingertips.

"Are you cold," he asked, pausing momentarily.

"No," she shook her head. "That feels nice." He continued to stroke her arms.

* * *

When the movie ended they still hadn't moved. Annie was sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with the bottom of her cami. "They're going to be so happy," she declared.

"You never know what happens after the movie is over," Abed said. "But I bet they would be. They're very compatible."

Annie chuckled a little. "Do you have to analyze everything?" she asked jokingly.

"Yes," he replied.

She was quiet for a moment as the credits rolled.

"Abed," she said finally.

"Yes?"

"Are you ticklish?"

He quirked his head and stared down at her. She tilted her head back to look at him.

"That's a non-sequitor," he pointed out. "Why?"

"Answer the question, Abed," she said as her voice took on a playful tone.

"I don't understand the point of your question," he said looking away.

Annie sat up then turned to face him. She whipped the pillow off his chest. "I'm going to find out either way," she threatened.

He looked at her and resolutely didn't answer. She knelt, towering over him. Her hair fell around her face. He could smell her again. "Well?" She asked, leaning forward.

"Yes," he admitted in a last ditch effort.

"Good."

And she pounced.

She tickled his ribs and he laughed reflexively. She was merciless. He begged her to stop but she just straddled his hips and tickled more. He tried to throw her off, but she gripped him with her knees and redoubled her efforts. She only stopped when they were both out of breath.

He had her wrists locked tightly between his fingers. Her head had lulled to rest forehead to forehead with his. Their breath mingled coming heavy and hot. When breathing wasn't so crucial he opened his eyes. She was looking at him. She was panting. She was straddling his hips and her chest was pressed against his. His fingers slowly loosed her wrists. A hand made its way up her arm, the goosflesh rose to meet his fingertips again. He moved them up across her shoulder. Then moved to the back of her neck. His hand cupped it. She closed her eyes. The hand moved up. His thumb rested just above her jawline. It rubbed against her cheek gently. Her head tilted to the side, her breath was ragged though she was no longer winded. He pulled gently with the hand on her neck. Her head tilted back, his lips moved closer. He could feel the warmth of her mouth. _Shouldn't do this, _he thought. _She's drunk. I'm drunk._ He made up his mind.

And closed the gap.

She tasted sweet and spicy and her mouth was warm. Her lips moved gently with his. She didn't hesitate, or rush. They didn't knock their teeth, or slurp, or do any of the awkward things that happen during a first kiss. They just moved slowly and intensely. Her hands came up and wrapped around the back of his neck. His free hand found its way to the small of Annie's back and pressed her more firmly against him.

She moaned and increased the intensity of their kiss. Abed shivered involuntarily, his body overwhelmed by sensation.

Moments later it wound down. The kiss very slowly fading away. When they separated she rested her head against his briefly before she opened her eyes to find that intense gaze on her. His thumb was still stroking her cheek.

He smiled.

She melted against him. His hands circled her waist. Her head rested on his shoulder. She heaved a great sigh.

Abed smiled, amused. "What?" She asked from her place against him.

"You swooned," he pointed out.

She sat up abruptly. "You cheated!" She accused.

"I didn't know there were codes of conduct," he smirked.

"That was a dirty trick," she huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away so he wouldn't see the hurt in her eyes.

"It wasn't a trick," he said, confused by her reaction.

"You just did that so you would win the bet," she said, still staring off into the distance.

"No."

"Yes you did," she insisted. Every time she talked she shifted on his lap. It was making the debate more difficult to focus on. Their previous actions had already provided him quite a bit of stimulation and, despite being surprised that Annie hadn't yet picked up on it, it was quite obvious.

"Annie," he started slowly. "I don't understand why you're mad. I already told you I didn't do it to win the bet."

"Then why," she demanded, turning to glare at him.

"Because," he said trying to think of how to explain all the things he'd been trying to sort out for the last few months in the next thirty seconds. "Because you're Annie, and you like Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk, and because you play Inspector Spacetime with me, and you sing and dance with me, and because you were so close, and so warm, and because... I _wanted_ to Annie." He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. She was crying again.

He wiped the tears away.

"What does all this mean," she asked. Her voice shook slightly.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Please don't be mad at me."

She lifted a hand to her face and covered his. She closed her eyes and leaned onto it. Her thumb rubbed against the back of his hand. "I'm not mad," she said and opened her eyes. He quirked a small half-smile. "And we don't need to figure this out right now," she told him.

"Thank you," he told her as he pulled her closer. She snuggled against him.

"Oh!" She exclaimed abruptly sitting straight up.

"What's wrong," he asked worriedly.

"I, um, you, uh," she looked away, face bright red. "I think I should get off of your lap," she spit out as quickly as possible.

"Oh," he said. "I was wondering when you'd notice."

"Uh!" She huffed. "You could have told me!"

"What was I supposed to say: 'Annie, your kiss seems to have aroused me and all that wiggling you're doing isn't helping. Please remove yourself or redouble the wiggling.'?"

"No," she blushed even more deeply but she hadn't moved. "It's just embarrassing. You should have said something."

"I see." And just like that Abed wrapped his arms around Annie, tucked his knee back and deposited her on the blanket, on her back, with him pressed against her.

She was panting again. Her hair splayed out behind her. He rubbed his nose along the exposed flesh of her neck. She shivered. He trailed his lips along her collarbone and then up her neck. Not kissing, just slightly parted so little gusts of air feathered her skin. He moved up to her ear. His lips gently grazed her earlobe. His exhale made her shiver again. His deep inhale made her squirm against him. He groaned gently. It surprised him.

"Go on, Annie," he whispered. His voice was gruff.

"Wha?" Her head was swimming.

"Tell me to remove myself."

"Different," was all she got out as way of argument. He trailed his lips back down her neck. His fingers dug into her hip. His other hand tangled in her hair. He breathed the scent of it in deeply.

"Are you not aroused?" He asked. She didn't answer, but she wiggled. "You are," he said with conviction. "I can feel your warmth through your pajamas."

"Abed," she half-whined half-gasped. His hips thrust involuntarily against her.

"Annie," he gasped. He rested his head against her shoulder. He was trying hard to keep in control. He was drunk, and he was turned on, and she was warm and soft underneath him. "I don't think I'll ever forget the sound of you saying my name that way." She wiggled again. He grit his teeth. "If it's easy just tell me."

She panted, his lips suckled at the hollow of her throat. _This is getting out of hand._ His thoughts were competing. Half of his brain fully absorbed in the sensations he was experiencing, the other half trying to make him be rational. _Too soon for all this heavy sexual subtext._ He forced himself to pull back slightly. He turned her head to face him.

"Look at me Annie." She shook her head. Her eyes stayed firmly closed. "Please." His voice was full of imploring and worry. She opened her eyes and looked into his. He was scared. Her heart broke. "I don't know…" he trailed off.

She cleared her throat. "Abed, please remove yourself." She said finally. Some of the tension left his eyes. He leaned back and she sat up with him. They were kneeling face to face.

"Too soon," was all he said.

She smiled understandingly at him and reached out to stroke her fingers along his cheek. "For me too, Abed. Don't worry. We still don't have to figure this out right now."

He nodded and hung his head. "I'm sorry, Annie."

She trailed her fingertips down to his chin and lifted his head to look at her. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, Abed." She assured him. "We're both a little drunk, and things got out of hand. Yes?" He nodded. "This doesn't have to mean anything more than it does right now." Something flickered across his eyes. His gaze wavered. "Abed?" She searched his eyes questioningly.

"Not now," he said. "Too soon. Not enough set up or development. Characters need to come to natural realizations. Can't be forced."

She didn't understand, but she nodded. "Another movie?" She asked hopefully.

His gaze came back into focus. He nodded. "Yes. Do you want to get it?" She shook her head. "I'll be right back."

Annie put the pillows to rights and leaned back. She rubbed her thighs together trying to ease some of the uncomfortable tension there, but it didn't seem to help.

Abed returned with _Red_, mixed two more drinks and settled in.

The drinks were gone after the first ten minutes.

They were asleep ten minutes after that.

On a blanket, on a floor, in a blanket fort, they collapsed and curled around each other for warmth. She unknowingly buried her face against him and breathed him in. He held her tight in his unconscious state.

She dreamt of him.

Abed dreamt of summer, and creamsicles.

A/n: I considered making this two chapters, since it is the length of two normal ones, but I just couldn't bring myself to be that cruel to you. If I read that cliffhanger, I would be dying to read the next half. So, my gift to you.

As you can tell I wrote another chapter (which s why 8 is posted early instead of a week after 7). I have my mojo back!

I wanted to thank everyone for their words of encouragement and, in one case - clarification, in your reviews. It means a lot to me. I really do spend a lot of time on this and I want to make it good! I hope this chapter's slight raciness doesn't shift you away!

Brittany's Dairies - I'm glad you liked chapter 7. I thought it was cute too.

theirsongstillseemstofindyou - Thank you for your encouragement! I'll do my best to make you proud.

MorganEnjoysFanfiction - I'm sorry to hear you find my characters OOC. You're the first person to say so. I am glad, however, you are enjoying it despite that.

ss15 - Thank you so much for your kind words. I am still writing, as you can see, and intend to continue to do so.

GuestAnon - Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment of encouragement. It really did help!

RoyallyTenenbaum - Thanks! I /will/ keep posting and I agree: the world does need more Abed/Annie!

Love!


	9. Smooth

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Troy shuffled out of his bedroom. Abed's Period Party had gone over amazingly. Britta was now snuggled happily in their bed. Her mood had been markedly improved after the first movie and it had only gotten better after that. He was just leaving the bathroom when he noticed there was a light on in the blanket fort. Thinking Abed must still be up watching a movie and that he might as well thank him for his advice Troy walked over and pulled back the sheet.

"Hey, man, I…" he trailed off. There on the floor on a pile of blankets his best friend was curled around his other roommate. Troy's mouth gaped open as he stared. Actually they looked really peaceful just sleeping in their pajamas on the floor, the movie's main menu screen flickering in the darkness. Troy had never thought of Abed as a romantic, but if he were this is the kind he would be. His mouth closed and he smiled. Annie shifted and Abed pulled her closer. She sighed.

Troy backed slowly out of the fort. Happy for his friend, and a little worried about change. But mostly really really glad he'd walked in on something _innocent_.

* * *

Abed woke up at about 4am. The DVD player screensaver was bouncing along the edges of the TV lightly illuminating the room. He could tell he was still drunk and he was confused as to what woke him. He blinked, then felt the tingle in his hand. It was well asleep. The kind of asleep that makes you want to scream when you try to move it. He tried to pull his arm to him, intending to rub it and bring some of the life back but it was stuck. He rolled to his side.

Annie was resting on it. Her hair was over her face and she was snoring, just the slightest little wheezes, probably from the way his arm was constricting her neck. He carefully wiggled free.

Abed got to his knees and, as quietly as possible, made his way to the bathroom. He was very stiff. The floor wasn't comfortable at all. He swayed slightly and rested a hand against the wall in front of him to assist his balance as he finished up at the toilet. He really was sore, and already had a slight head ache.

He took the bottle of aspirin out to the kitchen. He got a glass of water out of the tap and downed a pair of the small white pills. Then he thought of Annie, and how much she had had. He refilled the glass and brought the bottle of aspirin. His legs complained as he walked.

He diverted to Annie's room and placed the glass and the bottle of pills on her bedside table. Then he went to her bed. He threw the extra animals and pillows off and tossed the blankets back. He left the light off.

Abed walked back to the blanketfort. He wanted to stay with Annie, he really did, but if he lay back down on that floor with her in the morning they'd both be miserable. So instead he clicked off the TV. He squatted and slipped one arm under her legs and the other around her back. He lifted her easily and carried her to her room. He set her in her bed pulling up the blankets and tucking her in.

He looked at her then. Just stood over her and looked. It was amazing how something so peaceful could make him terrified. Not just because of what had happened during _The Wedding Singer_, partly because of it, yes, but not _just_ because of it, but also because he knew, deep down, that Annie would never actively try to hurt him. And yes he was afraid of getting hurt, but mostly he was afraid of things changing. Because they were, and things didn't always change for the better.

She made a soft noise of complaint in her sleep and without thinking he leaned over to comfort her. He brushed the hair out of her eyes, and he stroked her cheek, and he said "It's okay, Annie. You're okay," because it seemed like the right thing to do. She sighed softly. He unbent and turned to leave, his fingers lingering on her. He felt small fingers close over his own long slender ones.

"Abed?" Her voice was soft, and confused, and, he was surprised he realized, a little scared.

"Yes, Annie?" He asked. He didn't move. He was afraid. Afraid she'd ask him to go. Afraid she'd ask him to stay.

"Where are you going" she asked.

"To bed," he answered, his familiar monotone made soft and gruff with fatigue.

"I have a bed," she mumbled hand still holding his, eyes still closed.

He didn't have the heart to make her ask. He climbed over her, wiggled under the covers, and closed his eyes. She reached back for his arm and wrapped it around her. His eyebrows went up in surprise. In the dark no one would see. But she snuggled against him, and sighed contentedly, and whispered, "Abed," dreamily. She was asleep before he could ask why.

* * *

Annie awoke to the sun stabbing daggers at her through the window. She didn't open her eyes, she knew better. She'd go back to sleep and just ride this out. But then she felt another sensation. Bare skin under her fingertips. And she remembered parts of the night before. Kissing Abed, straddling Abed, being pinned under Abed. She dug desperately in her broken memory for details but she couldn't remember how the night ended.

She began to panic when she realized she must still have her pajamas on. They were twisted uncomfortably around her. She began to calm down. And aside from the panic, she really was warm and safe. She began to half-doze.

Her fingers smoothed up and down the exposed skin. It was soft to the touch, but firm underneath. It made her fingers tingle. They moved, seemingly of their own accord, up the exposed plane and down, finding crevices and dips. Her fingers found a small protrusion, a hipbone. The fingertips curled to scratch their nails along its curvature. Somewhere in the land of the waking someone moaned softly. The nails moved up to scratch other places, elicit new noises, and they succeeded. As they scraped soundly but not savagely down a pectoral, an abdominal, across from one hipbone to another, the voice continued its noises, varying in range but not in volume. A hand fell across the plain. Her fingers moved up it, dragging the nails up forearm, and bicep, over shoulder, and then collarbone. And suddenly Annie realized she wasn't nearly as asleep as she was pretending to be.

_She_ was touching Abed this way. _She _was scratching and smoothing and reveling in those sounds. And _she_ was making him make those sounds. And she _liked_ it. They made her feel powerful. She was so used to being comfortable being uncomfortable with her sexuality that she never realized how empowering something as simple as touching a man could be. Her hand moved down without her willing it too. She was still so wrapped up in the feeling of control that she didn't pay it any mind. As long has he kept making those sounds.

And he did. He made them as she pressed her hand firmly against his chest. And he made them as she scratched across his stomach. And he made them as she dragged her nails over his hipbone. He made them the most loudly then. And her hand pushed down, down, down… only to be grasped roughly by a set of lithe fingers and pulled back up.

He clutched her hand to his chest. She hadn't realized how hard he'd been breathing. She could feel his heart hammering under her palm. He held it there. She opened her eyes only to find his eyes were squeezed shut. He was taking deep breathes through his nose. He was trying to mantian some modicum of control, she realized.

And then she began to feel guilty for taking advantage of him. She opened her mouth to apologize but nothing came out. He lifted her hand and she was sure he was going to throw it aside in anger. Instead he lifted it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to her palm, firm and long, and an odd sense of deja vu overcame her. He slipped his fingers though hers and stared at them, amazedly.

Finally, she got the nerve to speak. "Abed," she whispered. "I'm,"

He cut her off. "Annie," he said still inspecting their fingers. "You're Annie." The look of amazement faded. He looked confused. "And I'm just Abed," he said.

"What?"

He turned to look at her, the confusion was gone. "Good morning, Annie." He motioned to the glass of water and bottle of aspirin with his eyes. "I thought you might need those after all the whiskey."

She nodded, confused. "Thank you." She looked at him for a moment. Warm brown skin bathed in sunlight streaming through the window. He was amazing. "Where'd your shirt go?"

"Huh?" Abed looked down and then around the room. It was on the floor by the closed door. "I must have been too warm," he said plainly. He hadn't let go of her hand. He was looking at her again.

"Oh god," she shrieked. "I must look awful."

"I've seen you in the morning," Abed reminded her. "We've woken up together before."

"But not after a night of drinking," Annie protested. "I didn't brush my teeth or my hair. Oh, my breath must be awful." She tried to cover her mouth with her other hand.

Abed pulled it down. "Your hair is frizzy and tangled," he informed her. "You appear to have worn make-up and failed to remove it. There is black smudged around your eyes. You have dark circles under them, probably from being hung over," he added, "and your breath is not fresh."

Annie grimaced, "Thank you, Abed," she bit.

"Was that sarcasm," he asked. His eyes crinkled at the corners. She nodded angrily. "Oh. I wasn't trying to upset you. You didn't let me finish." She raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to finish. "Mind you, I think I'm still a little drunk. Take two." She huffed a little but didn't interrupt him this time. "Your hair is frizzy and tangled. You appear to have worn make-up and failed to remove it. There is black smudged around your eyes. You have dark circles under them, probably from being hung over, and your breath is not fresh." He paused for effect and then looked into her eyes. For a long moment he didn't say anything, he just wanted to make sure he had her attention. He did. "But Annie, this is a top-five moment." He leaned up and kissed her forehead. She had tears in her eyes. "Oh, are you still mad?" She shook her head no. "Good."

He smiled and disengaged from her. He swept back the blankets, taking extra care not to stare at all the bits of Annie that he'd exposed, and climbed over her and out of the bed. He picked up his shirt, threw it on and turned back to look at her. She was staring at him intently. He wondered if this was how people felt when he was staring at them. "I want pancakes. Pancakes?" He offered. She nodded dumbly. "Cool." He said as he walked out. "Cool, cool, cool."

Annie made her way to the bathroom and back on auto pilot. She washed her face and fixed her hair. She stayed in her pajamas. She took the aspirin Abed had left for her. Just as she was about to go to the kitchen to help her phone buzzed. Confused, she lifted it to read the caller ID.

'Vaugnhn Miller,' it read.

* * *

A/n: New chapter. I know what this looks like: love triangle drama. And it's going to look that way for a while, honestly, but just trust me when I say, it's not what it looks like! Hang in there :)

Love.

moonsilver09 – I love all the exclamation points in your review. I hope you were pleased with how things went in this chapter.

jack the shmee – I am well, thank you, I hope you are too. There's going to be a little more drama soon, but don't worry. It's not what it looks like! Dun dun duuuun!

RoyallyTenenbaum – There's only so in-character you can keep them when exploring almost completely new situations. I'm glad you understand that and that you are enjoying the story :)

Misery-loathes-Company: Right, and Jewish people never eat pork, and Catholics don't use birth control, and...well, you know how it goes. I understand what you are saying, and I did actually know that, but I did go through the series and make sure this situation wasn't unprecedented, and it isn't (Communication Studies S01E16 and Mixology Certification S02E10). If he lived with his father I would say you're right this rule would have been enforced but college kids do all kinds of things when they're away from home. I guess what I'm saying is, you're right, but I don't think I'm wrong either.

JSBashir2341 – I'm glad it made you swoon too! It always works on me.


	10. Rough

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Abed was plating the first pancakes when Annie came out of her room. Her eyes were glazed as she sat on the stool on the opposite side of the pass through. She didn't look at Abed. He waved a spatula in front of her face. She turned to look at him, but her expression didn't change.

"You're eyes are glazed," he informed her. "Are you still drunk?" She shook her head. "Are you sick? I can bring these to bed for you." She smiled weakly and shook her head again. "Okay," he said, dropping it.

"Vaughn just called me," she said dazedly.

Abed looked up. "When was the last time you heard from him?"

"After he moved to Delaware," she said.

"Well what did he want?"

"He wants to see me. I guess he's moving back, or just moved back, or something. I didn't really catch it all."

Abed looked at the pan. He continued to make and plate pancakes as she sat there. He was almost done anyway. After a few minutes he took of his 'Baking is Science for Hungry People' apron, turned off the stovetop, and grabbed the pancakes, plates, utensils, and syrup. It was a lot to juggle but he got it to the table without breaking anything. He set two spots up and then came back for Annie.

"Annie," he said as he gently grasped her arm. "Come eat something." She let him lead her to the table. He served her a few pancakes and she fell into the familiar rhythms of eating. When she cleared her plate and went for more she was looking more grounded. "So what happened between you and Vaughn?" Abed asked finally.

Annie blinked and looked at him. "We dated, you know that."

"I know," he said taking a bite, "but all I know is you were dating, then the semester was over and you were going to spend the summer in Delaware. You said goodbye but you never left." He gestured with his fork. "So what happened?"

"Uh," she fumbled as she poured syrup on her pancakes, "I told him I was going to transfer up there to be with him. And then the night of the Tranny Dance I told him I couldn't do that. My whole life is here. And I was really sad to say goodbye to everyone. Especially you."

Abed paused and looked up. "Really?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"A little." He admitted.

"Well, we'd just started having stories together," she said with a smile, "and we'd just come up with that little handshake, and you looked so cute in you powder blue blazer and ruffled shirt." She looked down, blushing. "I'd just starting learning how great it was to be your friend and I didn't want to leave."

Abed smiled at her. She smiled back. "So I guess he didn't take it very well?"

"Well, he said he understood, and he sent me a text to let me know he arrived alright, but then I didn't hear from him again. Until today, anyway." She resumed eating. "These pancakes are great," she said.

"Cool," Abed replied. "What do you think he wants?"

"I'm sure he just wants to sort things out. This town isn't that big so we're bound to run into each other. At least this way it won't be awkward."

"Mhm," was all Abed managed as a response.

"He wants to meet at the mall in an hour. Do you want to come with me? We can meet up at the movies after."

She looked at him hopefully but without even lifting his head he replied, "No thanks. I don't want you to feel rushed and I don't really want to see anything."

"Oh, okay," she replied confused and a little sad. "Well I'm going to go get ready then."

When she came out Abed was finishing up the dishes. "I would have done them," she said. "You cooked, it's only fair."

"It's okay," he said without turning around. "I know you don't like to let dishes sit. Have a good time."

She nodded, but he couldn't see. As she got the door she paused. "Abed, are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Okay… I'll see you later," and she left.

"Later," he said to no one.

* * *

Annie didn't come back until ten o'clock at night. Abed had this horrible gnawing in his chest. He couldn't understand it so he'd been trying to ignore it by keeping busy. He watched a movie, but couldn't focus on it. So he cleaned. And he cleaned everything. Now he was standing in his mini-Dreamatorium trying to make sense of it all. It wasn't working. Nothing was working like it used to and he didn't know what to do. He stepped out of it, closed the door and hid it under the sheet in the back corner. Finally, he just started pacing. He knew that he was required to appear calm and aloof when Annie got home, but he wasn't either of those things. She'd been gone all day.

Finally the door opened. In came Annie. She closed the door, leaned back on it, smiled, and sighed. Abed watched from inside the blanket fort. She took her jacket and shoes off and headed to the kitchen. She was smiling and humming softly.

Abed walked into the kitchen. "You swooned," he accused.

She jumped. "Abed, you scared me!"

"You swooned," he reiterated.

She took a drink out of her water bottle. "I did not," she said but she looked away. Even if Abed didn't understand it, he was nothing if not a student of human character. He knew how people were supposed to act. Normal people made eye contact. When they didn't there was something wrong.

"What happened today?" He asked. "You were gone a long time."

"We just hung out and talked about our lives the past two years," she said. She shifted from foot to foot.

"And?"

"And what?" She glared at him.

"You're using outrage as a distraction to avoid answering the question," he said, pointing.

"You have no right to treat me like this," she yelled.

"I'm not treating you like anything. I am asking straightforward questions which you are avoiding. You're behaving suspiciously, Annie." He could tell that only made it worse.

"It's none of your business," she yelled. She stomped off and slammed her door closed. Abed just stood, confused, in the kitchen.

A moment later Troy and Britta's door opened and the couple came out. They found Abed.

"How's it going, buddy?" Britta asked gently.

"Uh, what was that all about, man? Did you put something away wrong?" Troy offered.

"I asked Annie what happened when she went to see Vaughn today," he explained in his monotone. "She was evasive. I called her out on it and she became angry and yelled at me. I don't understand. I just wanted to know what happened."

"Vaughn asked Annie out," Troy blurted. Britta smacked him. "What? You know you can't tell me things!"

"Oh," Abed said blankly. "And did she say yes?" No one answered. Troy averted his eyes guiltily.

Britta looked at Abed with sad eyes. She nodded. "Oh," he said again. He walked into the blanket fort and sat on the bottom bunk.

"Stay here," Troy told Britta.

"Me stay here?" She asked, affronted. "You're the one who spilled the beans!"

"He was going to find out eventually!" Troy defended. "Besides, he's _my_ best friend. I'm going to talk to him. You. Stay. Here." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed as he walked away.

Troy pulled back a sheet and entered the blanket fort. Abed was sitting on bottom bunk staring intently at a spot on the floor. Troy sat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Abed didn't respond. "Aw c'mon, man," he whined. "I'm not good at bringing you out and you're stronger than this now. You don't need to turn off when things are too much. You can talk to me."

Finally, Abed turned to look at him. "There's nothing to talk about. First you, now Annie. It'll all be back to the way it was soon."

Troy grabbed Abed's arm and forced him to turn so their eyes could meet. "Abed, no." His voice was firm, the way it was when he was really, really serious about something. It made Abed pay attention. Troy didn't get like this very often. "You really care about Annie don't you?"

Abed nodded. "She's very important to me. You and Annie are the only people who understand."

Troy smiled. "That's nice man, but I mean you have feelings for her." Abed nodded again. "Then don't give up," he said with a shrug. "Not without a fight."

"I don't want to fight Vaughn," Abed said quirking his head. "He's a nice enough guy."

"No, not… I just mean, don't just give up and let her go. Try something. Try everything. If you try then no matter what happens you won't have any regrets," he said, patting Abed on the shoulder.

Abed met his eyes and quirked a half-smile. "You're right," he said. "This is just the conflict in our script. I have to rise to the occasion." Troy smiled. "I need to make some plans," Abed said.

"Yeah, sure," Troy said. He stood up and walked to the sheet-door. He turned back and said, "I'm here if you need anything."

Abed nodded. "I know. You should remember you said that."

* * *

A/n: When I was thinking about this chapter waaaay back in chapter 5 I asked my husband who I should bring back into Annie's life. I rambled off a few options and then he said, "Vaughn. Definitely Vaughn." When I laughed and asked why he felt so strongly about it he said, with conviction, "because Vaughn is the /worst/". It was pretty great.

And yes, I know, I know, I'm a day late with the update. Things got /busy/ this week and even though it was all written it does take a while to do all the notes and get it up. But I love you and I'll do better!

Thanks to everyone who read!

moonsilver09 – I'm so happy you enjoyed the latest chapter! And I'm sorry for keeping you waiting soooo long!

Brittany's diaries – It was either going to be Vaughn or Rich, but I all my plans for Rich were a little darker than I wanted this Fic to become. Maybe in the next one.

Yuki Michiyo – did a double review! One at chapter 5 and then again at 9. I'm really glad the 'content' line impacted you so strongly. It was an important one for Abed and took a few passed to get the right message across (I had all the feels too). I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I love perfectly imperfect characters too!

RoyallyTenenbaum – I'm excited about writing how Abed copes with this situation. Although at first it might seem like he's taking it too well.

GingerGleek – I guess I own you an 'I'm sorry' for not updating sooner too:) I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

0appletree0 – ha! I get what you did there with 'smooth chapter'! *Wink* I'm glad I could manage to make it both sexy and cute since, let's face it, Abed (and Annie) is pretty adorable.

FierceNerd14 – welcome to the love! I'm glad you like this story. I like writing it.


	11. Planning

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Annie hadn't come back out after their fight last night. Abed hadn't knocked or tried to apologize or anything, really. He knew now what Annie was hiding but he didn't know why she was mad at him. Shouldn't he be mad at her for going out with another guy after all the things happening with them? He wasn't but he felt like he probably should be. And he did feel _something_ about it, he just didn't know what. It was an unpleasant feeling like a dullness, or a dead weight in his chest. He tried not to think about it.

Instead, he planned.

It seemed to Abed there were three ways to define a relationship: You were sleeping together but not seeing each other; you were seeing each other but not sleeping together; or you were in a relationship, both seeing each other and sleeping together. He knew Annie and Vaughn weren't sleeping together but it was only a matter of time. Pop culture had taught him the third date was when people finally slept together but this was Annie, he figured even with their history he had a minimum of four dates to make his move.

This was important. If Annie and Vaughn were just seeing each other and Abed made a move then he was just presenting her with another option. However, if they went past that fourth date and, almost certainly, consummated their relationship he would be breaking up a couple which, even in the most beloved romcoms, was very bad form. So it was set. He had until the fourth date.

He sat at the dining room table with a new notebook. He stroked the cover gently. Nothing was as promising as a new notebook waiting to be filled with possibilities and adventures. And this could be the most important notebook he would ever write in. Of course, he always thought that but this time it could be really true.

He opened the cover and uncapped his pen. At the top of the first page he wrote **One:**

-Half an hour later he was still there working out the finer points of his plan when Annie's door opened. It was around ten in the morning which was pretty late for Annie. She stopped when she saw Abed at the table.

"Morning," he said without looking up.

"Morning," she replied warily as she made her way to the bathroom.

She came out later fully dressed and ready for the day. She went to the kitchen. Abed closed his notebook and put it away, actively avoiding a confrontation if she accidently saw its contents, before joining her in the kitchen.

"Do you want some breakfast?" She asked with her head in the refrigerator.

"I had Lucky Charms," he said as he leaned against the counter.

"I'll rephrase," she said. "Do you want some real food? I was going to make eggs and macaroni."

Abed quirked his head at her. He didn't respond so she straightened and turned to look at him. "Abed?" She said nervously.

"Macaroni is my favorite," Abed said. "Why are you making my favorite?"

Annie sighed and closed the refrigerator door. She put the eggs on the counter. "Because you like it, and I was mean to you last night," she admitted. "And I kind of like it too," she mumbled hurriedly.

"I'm glad you like it too, Annie," Abed, as usual not missing a word of dialog, "but you don't need to make me an apology breakfast. I'm not mad at you."

"I appreciate that, Abed, but you should be. I yelled at you and I stormed off and I avoided you all night," she rambled as her eyes welled with tears. "And I felt bad the whole time and I don't want you to hate me…" She was still babbling when Abed wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She stiffened in surprise.

"Annie," he said as she began to sniffle into his chest. "You're important to me. If I didn't hate you when you broke my specialized Batman DVD, yeah I know all about it," she sniffled again and he went back to his point, "then I'm not going to hate you for yelling at me in a kitchen." She nodded and sniffled a little more and he let her go. "I would like to help you make breakfast," he said as he looked at her.

"Okay," she smiled weakly.

As they cracked eggs, and shredded cheese, and boiled water they sang together. The sang anything that popped into their heads. It was a strange amalgam of soundtracks. They were on the song at the end of _The Breakfast Club_ while they waited for the noodles to cook.

"Don't, don't, don't dooooon't!" They were leaning over, singing as loudly as possible into each other's faces. They descended into the La-lalala-la-lalalas as the timer went off. They mixed the cheese sauce and pasta, then plated it with the eggs. They went out to the table.

"I always used to eat in front of the TV," Abed said as they sat.

"You still do," Annie said, gesturing with her fork. "I bet you ate Lucky Charms and watched something this morning."

Abed nodded. "I did. But I used to eat all my meals in front of the TV. Even when I had someone to eat with, like Troy. "

"So what changed," she asked as she took a bite. Say what you will, but Abed knew how to make macaroni.

"You moved in," he said as he looked at his plate and ate.

Annie looked up. "I'm sorry," she said instantly. "We can eat in front of the TV if you want."

"What?" Abed looked up.

"I didn't mean to make you change," she said.

"I think we're having a miscommunication," Abed said as he set down his fork. "I was just commenting that this is something I never used to do. I meant it as a good thing. It's helped me interact more with people on a level devoid of media. It was a big step for me."

"So you're not mad about it?" Annie asked in a small voice.

"I was trying to say 'thank you'," Abed said. "Sometimes change is good, even if it is scary."

Annie stared at him blankly and blinked. Abed smiled and looked back down at his plate. He started eating again.

A few moments later he heard Annie start eating again too. Time passed that way, in comfortable silence, for a few more minutes before Abed said, without preamble, "So when is your date?"

A fork clattered to the floor. Abed looked up. Annie's face was red and uncomfortable and she was staring at him. He quirked his head to the side. When she didn't move he reached down and picked up her fork. He blew on it a few times, inspecting its cleanliness, and tried to hand it to her. When she didn't move to take it he shrugged and put it on the table next to her plate. He continued to look at her.

"Uh," she stammered finally, "tonight, at seven."

Abed nodded and resumed eating.

"Abed," Annie asked, "are you okay?"

"Yup," he said as he finished his last bite, gathered his plate, and walked off to deposit it in the kitchen.

"I'll do the dishes," she yelled.

"Cool." He said as he crossed the space between the kitchen and the blanket fort. "Cool, cool, cool."

He took out the notebook. He had to finish planning because he didn't have much time. He thought he'd have at least a couple of days but apparently Vaughn was eager to have Annie back. And of course he was, why wouldn't he be? She was Annie. Abed paused to consider his actions. Did he really have any right to go through with this plan? After all, Vaughn was exactly the kind of guy he would expect Annie to fall for. He was traditionally handsome and laidback enough to counter her need to control things. There was a list of similar things running through his head but he tried to block it out and take Troy's advice.

Instead, he went back to the notebook. He had until she left to get it all figured out and then he had to execute it when she got back. He stared scribing.

* * *

A/n: I know, this one is short, and I'm sorry! I'm working on chapter 15 and if I get it done before next monday I'll post 12 for you :) Thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, and favorites this story. I would love to hear from all of you!

FierceNerd14 - Thank you for the enthusiastic support!

Brittany's diaries - You are a faithful reviewer :) I've been playing with the idea of brining Rich in but it will be a while before I do.

Gab-Bri-Elle-Magi - Abed appreciates you cheering him on.

moonsilver09 - Soon you will get several chapters explaining what has been going on with Annie while all this stuff has been going on with Abed. Don't worry!

yellowcrayon7 - Abed doesn't do anything by halfs so, as you see a glimpse of in this chapter, admitting his feelings is going to be a production!


	12. One

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

-Abed's plan relied on a few factors, the most important of which was to never, ever, mention that Annie had just been on a date. So he was glad he had a lot of things to set up while she was out. He walked over to Troy and Britta's door and knocked.

"Just a minute," Troy called. He answered the door in his boxers, looking rumpled.

"We're you having sex," Abed asked.

"No," Troy grumbled. "And you're lucky Britta is at work. She would have yelled at you for that. I was taking a nap."

"Oh," Abed said. "I need your help with something." Troy wandered back into the room as Abed spoke and started getting dressed. "Do you remember where we put the puppets we made for the first day Annie moved in?"

"Yeah," he said. "Why?"

"I need them tonight." Abed reached out and handed Troy a piece of paper.

"What's this?" He asked as he pulled a shirt over his head.

"Your script," Abed explained.

-Abed had everything set up by ten. He assumed that three hours would be enough for dinner and a movie, although that probably wasn't what Vaughn would want to do on a date. Either way, three hours seemed like a good buffer. He heard a car door close around ten-thirty and he glance out the window. Annie was on the sidewalk waving. She turned to come in.

"Places," Abed yelled.

Annie walked in and closed the door. She had a moderate smile but did not lean and sigh as she had before. Abed took it as a good sign as he watched from the kitchen. A moment later Annie noticed Troy. He was wearing his Constable Reggie costume and was standing at attention before the door.

"Troy?" She asked.

"Good evening madam," Troy said in his best Reggie voice. "I am to escort you to the fort for the demonstration."

Annie smiled. She loved when they invited her to their games. "Okay, just let me change."

"No need, ma'am. You are properly attired. Please follow me." He held out his elbow. She took it, giggling, and let him lead her into the blanket fort.

She gasped when she entered it. The beds had been unbunked to look like rows of seats, and they had been draped in a deep red velvet fabric. The lighting was low, and red, apparently from a scarf being thrown over the only lamp. Troy led her to the first row and she sat.

"The show will begin momentarily, ma'am, please enjoy." He saluted and walked out.

Annie sat patiently as she listened to things rustle outside the fort. Then the lights dimmed out and a light bloomed on the other side of the sheet.

"Hear me, hear me," a voice declared from the other side. "Presenting, the real life fairy tale of how Princess Annie," the little princess shadow puppet appeared and wiggled, "having been saved from Count Spaghetti," and his shadow appeared too, "set off on her own adventure."

The puppets went down. A new lady puppet appeared. She had a ponytail and seemed to be decked out with adventuring gear. She was pretty sure there was a little whip on her hip.

"Annie was walking through Greendalia when she passed by the statue of the town's greatest hero." A little shadow of the _Luis Guzmán statue appeared. "At the bottom of it sat a man. He was alone, and reading a book." Another puppet appeared. "She stopped to ask him directions. He wouldn't look at her but told her the way to the City of Collegville. She was about to walk away when she stopped and kneeled down to look at the man. He shifted uncomfortably away from her." The voice increased in pitch. "'What is your name?' Annie asked the man." _

_The voice lowered into something masculine, but unsure. "'Han,' the man answered. _

_'Well Han, would you like to come to the City of Collegville with me? I would like some company.' _

_Han was so shocked that he turned to look right at Annie. 'Really?' He asked. She nodded. And so he got up and they went off toward the forest."_

_The light behind the blanket turned green. The two shadows reappeared. "'So, Han,' Annie asked. 'Why were you so surprised I asked you to come with me?' They walked through the woods nearing the forest. Han looked around warily. _

_'No one ever wants me to do things with them,' he answered. 'I'm used to being alone.' _

_'But I don't even know you,' Annie replied. _

_Han nodded. 'I figured that was why you asked. If you did you wouldn't have wanted me along.' _

_'Well,' she said, 'I'm getting to know you now. Tell me about yourself.'_

_ And so as they walked Han told Annie about all the things he liked and why, and all the things he didn't like, and why. He babbled and went on and on the way all the villagers back in Greendalia hated. Finally they came to the entrance of the City of Collegville. _

_'Well, Han,' Annie said, 'you're very different from anyone I ever met." _

_The Han puppet hung his head. "'I know,' he said. 'I'm a freak.' _

_But Annie reached out to him and he looked up and she smiled. _

_'Would you like to come into the city with me?'" His hand puppet started backing away from the Annie puppet. _

_"'Oh no,' he said. 'I can't go in there. The people there don't like me.'" _

_The Annie puppet moved closer. "'Please, she said. I'm having so much fun with you.' _

_Well what could he do? Han was just a lonely man and Annie was an adventurous princess. So he went." _

_The puppets walked off screen. A moment later a stick with a crowd on it appeared. The two puppets walked back on. "It didn't take long before the people of the City of Collegeville realized Han was there. They all started to whisper and point and soon a crowd had gathered. _

_A sheriff came up to Annie 'You have to take him out. We don't allow his kind here.' _

_'What do you mean,' Annie asked. _

_'I mean we tried to fix him,' he said roughly. 'We did all the tests, gave him all the treatments, why I 'spect he's a downright pincushion by now.'" The voice behind the blanket laughed rudely. "'But nothin' did any good and now he's got to go.' _

_'I don't see anything wrong with him.' Annie stood between the sheriff and Han. They glared trying to stare each other down. _

_'If ya don't go,' the sheriff said, 'you're both going to jail.' _

_Annie pulled out her whip. 'No we are not. I've got business to do here. I'll leave when it's done.'_

_ The sheriff growled. 'You can stay all you like but the freak has to go.' _

_'He's not a freak,' she asserted. 'And he's staying.' _

_The sheriff tried to draw his gun, but Annie snapped it out of his holster with her whip. 'We'll leave when I've done my business,' She said, and that's just when they left. _

_They were inseparable friends from that day on and went on many more adventures. Yaaaay!" _

_Behind the screen the puppets bounced up and down. The light went out behind the sheet and the light in the room came up again. Soft and red. _

_Abed came into the blanket fort. Annie clapped violently. He bowed and came to sit beside her. _

_"That was great," she said, her voice tight. _

_"Troy helped," Abed admitted. Then he looked at her. "Why are you crying?"_

_"Because you think I saved you," she sniffed._

_"You did save me," he said as he reached up and whipped her tears away. "The others had a hand in it but you've always been on my side. You always stand up for me. I don't know where I'd be without you, Annie." His hand fell to rest on the side of her neck his thumb stroked just behind her ear gently._

_She sniffled again and smiled at him. "I don't know where I'd be without you either, Abed." She leaned in and hugged him. _

_He enjoyed the moment before he breathed in. His nose crinkled. He pulled back. "Are you wearing perfume?" He asked, nose still crinkled._

_"Yeah," she admitted shyly, "why, don't you like it?"_

_"You don't smell like Annie," he informed._

_She smiled. "Oh, and what does Annie smell like?"_

_"Summer," he said. "And creamcicles." Her heart swelled. And then she started balling. "What did I do?" Abed asked frantically, or as frantically as Abed got._

_Annie sniffled and whipped at her eyes but couldn't stop. "This is all too much," she said. "First the costumes and then the puppet show and you know what I smell like and and…" she collapsed into a fit of tears. "I'm sorry," she wailed as Abed wrapped his arms around her. _

_"For what?" He asked. He stroked her hair._

_"You did this for me and I'm crying on you!"_

_"Annie," he said seriously. "I'm just glad you're here."_

_She cried on him a bit longer, then sniffled, and looked up at him. He rested his forehead on hers. After a moment she said, "Movie?"_

_"Movie," he parroted in affirmation. _

_"Cool," she sighed. _

_A/n: I love when a plan comes together… okay well it isn't together yet, but it will be. Oh, it /will/ be. Also I really get excited to see a review in my email so don't be shy!_

_GingerGleek – Thank you for taking the time to jot out a review! I'm glad you like A/A as much as I do and I hope you enjoyed phase one of his plan. Three more to go!_

_Brittany's diaries – I have another Abed/Annie in my head but it's a little too dark and racy for . If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them!_

Fumblepaws – For anyone who doesn't know Abed's apron is from a Webcomic called Questionable Content (it is a wonderfully weird comic) by Jeph Jacques. Read it, and then click the merchandise button. You'll see the apron. Apparently, Fumblepaws here knows him. How effin sweet it that?

ThetaSigma14 – You must be new, since you posted your review at chapter 4! A most enthusiastic Welcome to you! Continue to squee in an all-caps review as often as you like!


	13. Interlude

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Annie sat alone on the recliner in the living room. Everyone was gone. Britta had left for work early that morning and Troy and Abed were off having an adventure somewhere. She was trying to enjoy the solitude but it was already nearly four and she hadn't made much progress in her book – a well-loved copy of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. She couldn't stop thinking about the play Abed had made for her. He'd unbunked the beds. When she tried that they had to fake technical difficulties on _Troy and Abed in the Morning_. Troy had helped him rebunk them this morning.

She smiled. She was still off in her own thoughts when she heard the door open. Britta walked in. She kicked her shoes off haphazardly, threw her keys on the counter, dropped her purse on the table, walked over to Troy's recliner and slumped into it.

"Long day?" Annie asked.

Britta groaned in response.

"Britta?" Annie tried again.

"Mmph," the blonde managed.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Annie worried her bottom lip. Britta opened an eye to look at her. Then sighed in defeat and sat up.

"Sure, what's up?"

"It's about Vaughn," Annie started.

"Oh Annie, I don't know if we should talk about that," Britta said.

"Oh, well if you don't want to that's okay," Annie said. Britta began to stand and Annie continued quickly, "it's just, I really need someone to talk to, and I can't talk to Abed or Troy about it. And Shirley would be worried for my soul, and Pierce would hire someone to kick someone's ass, and well, I guess it's obvious why I can't talk to Jeff after how he acted when _you_ dated Vaughn."

Britta flopped back down. "Okay, what about him?"

"He's changed a lot," Annie began. "He's still kind of a free spirit but he's more down to earth. He's got a real job and plans for the future and we've only been on the one date and he's already adding me into them."

"I'd think that would make you happy," Britta said, confused. "You carried quite a torch for him, and he's got it all together now. You can have the white picket fence and everything."

"I know I felt that way once," Annie said, "but being in the group and living here have helped me understand that maybe I grew up a little too fast. I need to be able to be less mature sometimes. Vaughn isn't like that anymore. I still like him but, I dunno, something's missing."

"Some kind of a spark?" Britta suggested.

"No there's a spark. There's just no…" she paused waving her hands, trying to think of a word. "Joy," she said finally.

Britta smiled. "You'll figure it out, sweetie, you're smart."

Annie sighed. "It's not a solution, but I do feel better."

They stood and hugged. Britta walked toward her room.

"Are you going to pick up your things?" Annie called at her back.

Britta waved her away and said, "Later." She went into her room and closed the door.

* * *

It was around six when Troy and Abed came in. They were splattered with mud and paint. Annie looked up from her book and sighed. "Do I want to know?" She asked.

Troy looked at his shoes. Abed looked at her, considering, then looked down at the floor. He lifted his head, eyebrows raised and said, "Probably not."

"Get cleaned up, then clean up any mess you make doing it," she said sternly. They started trudging to the bathroom. "I hope you had fun," she called happily after them.

"We did," they replied in unison.

They came out a little later in towels. Annie briefly wondered if they had bathed together but decided probably not and if they had she probably didn't want to know about it. Besides Abed's skin was distracting her. He usually took his clothes into the bathroom with him when he showered. So he emerged either in the clothes he'd been wearing when he went in or the clothes he'd brought. It was one thing to see that skin in the morning light. It was another thing all together to see it dampened by the shower and basking in the warm tones of sunset. Troy turned to go hurriedly to his room. The door snapped shut.

Abed was halfway to the fort when he stopped abruptly, tilted his head, and turned to look at her. She didn't blink. "Annie," he said.

"Huh," she said automatically without changing her gaze.

"You're staring," he pointed out.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Annie said turning to bury her nose in her book.

"I don't think it was a situation that demanded an apology," Abed said, "but I guess I accept it. What are you reading?"

Annie refused to look up. "_A Midsummer Night's Dream_," she informed.

"You really like that play," Abed said matter-of-factly.

Annie's brow crinkled and she finally looked up at him. "What?"

"I've seen you reading it three separate times on campus, unless you are an unusually slow reader because they were are all months apart. I've also observed you reading it on half a dozen different occasions since you moved in. I'd assume they were all the same read through except how far you were into the book was never sequential. So you must have been re-reading it. That I know of, you have read it at least nine times," he finished.

Annie smiled, her face still red. "It's my favorite Shakespeare," she admitted. "But can we have this conversation when you're not naked and wrapped in a towel."

Abed looked down at the towel, then up at Annie. He waggled his eyebrows at her and dropped the towel. Annie looked away hurriedly as she heard it fall to the floor. "ABED!" She squealed.

"Annie," Abed said.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, unable to help it. She turned to look at him fully. "You're wearing shorts," she grumbled.

Abed quirked a small smile. "Yes," he said.

"That was a mean trick," she complained.

He still had a little half smile. "I'm sorry, Annie," he apologized. "I couldn't help myself. You get so uncomfortable."

"Well," she said, re-composing herself. "I guess I accept your apology, as long as you finish getting dressed."

"Cool." He picked up his towel and walked away. "Cool, cool, cool."

* * *

Abed came out not too much later appropriately dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and an un-zipped hoodie. He had neither socks nor shoes on, however and he wiggled his toes as he stood to the side, watching Annie. She was agitated about something. She kept looking up from her book and glaring. At first he considered apologizing again. Maybe his joke had actually upset her. But then he noticed what she was looking at.

She would read a few lines in the play. Then she would look up. She would start to glace at the door but then would fight her attention back to the book. Then she would give in with a huff and look up. She would glare towards the door, then her eyes would shift to the pass-through counter, then to the table. Then she would glare at Troy and Britta's door. Finally she would look back at her book and start the whole cycle over a few minutes later.

After observing this a few times Abed finally walked to stand in front of Annie. "What's wrong?" He asked. She looked up at him.

"Nothing," she said.

"For the last fifteen minutes you have been glaring around the room and then at Troy and Britta's door," he said, unusually brief in his explanation.

Annie sighed. "Okay, yes, I'm annoyed at Britta," she admitted.

"Why not just go talk to her about it?" Abed suggested.

"She hasn't been here very long and I don't want her to feel like I don't want her here," Annie whined.

"But sitting here and glaring isn't going to fix anything," Abed pointed out.

"Fine," Annie huffed. She closed her book, put it on the arm of Abed's recliner, and walked over to Troy and Britta's door. She knocked on it.

A moment later a muffled, "Just a minute," came through the door, followed by a lot of shuffling, and coughing. Finally the door opened.

"Hi, Annie," Britta said with a smile. Troy was standing behind her looking weird.

"Hey I, uh, I was just wondering if you'd mind picking up…" she trailed off as she registered a weird smell. Abed stood a few steps behind her.

"Your room smells weird," he addressed to Troy. Troy's eyes got wide and he gave Abed an unusual look that didn't register.

Annie sniffed. Britta's smile was locked on her face, but her eyes darted nervously. Troy fidgeted. Annie's brown crinkled and then smoothed as her eyes shot open with realization.

"You're smoking pot!" She yelled.

Britta and Troy started waving their hands and stammering. Britta tried to deny it, Troy tried to explain, and Annie yelled. "No pot in the apartment!"

"Then where am I supposed to smoke it? It's my apartment too! So unfair… not my mother!"

"No, no, no. Clean up your stuff, don't bring illegal drugs into our home, these aren't hard rules!"

"Don't yell at me I can't handle this right now… I'm freaking out…"

Abed looked around. He hadn't intended for it to devolve into this. Abed channeled Jeff, then brought his open hand across his face, closing it at the end. It worked. Everyone stopped yelling. Annie and Britta were breathing hard and glared at him. Troy was sniffling, trying to stop crying.

"Okay," Abed said. "This is my apartment too, and I have something to say." He paused to make sure they were all listening. "Britta, we want you here." She smiled triumphantly so Abed held up his hand. "But that means you need to adhere to certain rules. It was inconsiderate of you to bring illegal drugs into the apartment without asking, especially given Annie's history." Annie opened her mouth to object. He turned his hand to her. She closed it again. "Annie, it is unfair to attack Britta without explaining the rules to her first." Annie crossed her arms across her chest but did look down, embarrassed. "Troy, everything is going to be fine. Go get a snack." Troy perked up and went to the kitchen.

Britta turned to Annie. "He's right, I shouldn't have brought drugs into the house."

Annie smiled, "And I should have just asked you to pick your things up. I didn't mean to yell." They did a little shrug and hugged each other.

"For the record," Abed offered, "I would also appreciate it if you put your things away." Britta looked over at him and nodded. Then went to put her shoes, keys, and purse away. She returned to her room, Troy followed with his arms full of snacks and sodas, his mouth full of Funyuns, and then the door closed again.

Annie walked over to stand in front of Abed. "Thank you," she said as she looked up at him.

He nodded. "Sure," he said. Then, "When's your next date?"

The question threw her. "Um, we haven't made one yet," she said. "Why?"

"I was hoping you'd be free tonight," he admitted.

"Well, I am," Annie said curiously. "What did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise," he said. He turned to the door and put his messenger bag over his shoulder. He turned back to look at her. "You should put on pants."

Annie smiled and nodded. She walked to her room unzipping her skirt. Abed considered looking away, but figured she was going to close her door anyway. When she got in her room and she didn't he stared. She slipped out of her skirt, bent over and opened a drawer, removing a pair of jeans, and then wiggled into them.

She came out to find Abed staring at her intensely. "You should put shoes on," Annie said with a giggle. Abed didn't look away. She got closer. His eyes locked on hers. "Are you okay?" She asked. His hand reached out and grabbed her around the waist pulling her against him. Her brow wrinkled as his head lowered. She closed her eyes. She could feel his breath.

Then suddenly he was gone. No air, no warmth, no firm hand on her back. She opened her eyes. His back was to her, he was slipping his tennis shoes on, without socks. Annie grabbed her own and sat at the table to lace them. When she finished and looked up he was back to normal.

"Ready?" He asked. There was something lingering in his eyes. She nodded. "Cool." He said as he opened the door and ushered her out.

_Ready? _The question bounced in her ears. Ready for what? She hadn't been ready for whatever had happened in the entryway, but she was still disappointed. And she definitely wasn't ready for whatever he had planned. She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept walking. Feeling Abed's eyes on her.

_Ready, _Abed thought. He was ready. Beyond ready. But Annie needed more time. He could see it when she looked at him. She wasn't there yet. She was still confused. That was okay. There was still time. He watched her intently. Eyes unable to look away from the back of her head. He wanted to finish what he'd started in the entryway. But pacing was important. You can't jump to the end of the story. His hormones were telling him otherwise.

_Ready, _he thought again as he led her to his secret.

* * *

A/n: What new adventure does Abed have for them now!? Oh boy:) Well here's the next Chap done and up. Hope you liked it. I like to hear from you so don't be shy!

ThetaSigma14 – Way to catch the Indiana Jones ref:) Glad you liked the puppet show. I totally stone the idea from the show, but it just fit so well.

Brittany's diaries – Lovely to hear from you, as always. I wish I could do more updates for you!

Tmvg – Goodness, that's certainly a glowing review. Thank you!

moonsilver09 – Ah the creamcicle. Don't worry it's not going anywhere (see sorrynoaccount's note for info on the racy story).

WhimsicalMayhem – I'm sorry I made you have /all/ the feels. I'll try to keep it up.

Ang1885 – I wish I could do longer updates too, but this is all I can manage at the moment. And I really have to work to make sure you all get your fix!

Sorrynoaccount – Ah yes, the racy A/A story. Well, as I tried to say before it's a little too dark and… explicit for FF . net. If I post it on AdultFanFiction . net I will let you all know.


	14. Holding Pattern

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Abed walked to the stairwell of their apartment building and started walking down. They passed floor two, and one, and kept going. Two more flights. Finally the stairs ended at a solid metal door. Abed pulled out a ring of keys Annie had never seen before, slipped one into the hole, and turned it. There was the sharp click of an old lock sliding back. There was no handle on the door. Abed held it open as Annie walked into a pitch dark room. Abed stepped in and closed the door. The wan light from the stairwell faded completely. The door made a heavy metallic clunk.

And then there was light.

Annie blinked in the aftermath of Abed flicking the switch. The lighting was the harsh florescent kind but it was better than the dark. Abed slid the key back into the lock and secured the door. He turned around. And began walking. As Annie looked around she noticed there wasn't much to this place. So far it was just a small unfinished basement room but clearly Abed had somewhere, and something in mind.

"Abed," Annie drawled cautiously. "You're not going to reenact _Seven_ or _Saw_ or anything, right?"

He stopped abruptly and turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised. "Are you asking if I brought you down here to kill you?"

"Well," she said, "yes, and no. I'm asking if you brought me down here to pretend to kill me."

"No," he said firmly. "I don't think I could." He turned back and continued walking. When they'd gone about twenty feet from the door they came to another wall. This one was drywall and looked newer. It also had a door with a lock, but a much more modern hollow wooden one. He unlocked it and opened it, again ushering her inside. A light flicked on.

It was huge. The room consisted of four clean, white walls, a cement floor painted dark green, and a drop down ceiling. In it there was a couch, TV with DVD player, table, and several metal work cabinets all painted the same dark green. The table was piled with sheets, cans, and tools.

"Okay," she said, "explain."

Abed closed the door and turned to look at her. "I will," he said as he walked over to the table. "But not yet." He picked up some of the sheets and moved to deposit them on the couch. Then he moved to an end. "Help me with this?"

She nodded. Slowly they moved all the furniture into the middle of the room. Then covered the cabinets, couch, table TV and DVD player with the sheets. Finally, Abed turned to Annie. "Okay," he said. "Remember when Batman terrorized our landlord Rick?"

Annie smiled fondly, "I do."

"Well I recently decided that I really miss the Dreamatorium. I'm glad we took it down so Troy could stay and Britta could move in, but I missed rendering imagined dreamscapes. And I'd outgrown the old one anyway. So Batman visited Rick again. By the way, he's amassed a whole other closet of women's shoes. Batman told him to give Abed the keys to the basement and the back room. He also gave him a list of supplies," Abed gestured to the table. "So now, if you want, we're going to make the D1000." Abed watched her face closely. She smiled but then took her bottom lip in between her teeth a worried it. "You have a concern?"

"It's just, remember what happened last time?"

"That's not going to happen again," Abed said with conviction.

Annie walked up to him and put a hand on his arm. "You can't know that, Abed," she said gently.

"I can," he said.

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine, how, Abed? How could you possibly know?"

He pointed at her and quirked his head, "You're frustrated with me." She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's not going to happen again because that Abed is gone. I'm different than I was before."

Annie smiled a little again, frustration fading. "You don't seem different to me," she said.

"Oh," he said expressionlessly. His gaze shifted to the floor.

"What I mean," Annie said, quickly trying to clarify, "is that you are still the same wonderful, creative," _Sexy_ "se..." she trailed off and cleared her throat. "You don't seem to have changed." Her hand moved up his arm she took a step closer. "But you have," her voice was a little dazed. She was pressed, softly, against him now. "You're not the same as you were before. Neither am I."

Abed found himself wrapping his hands around her as she spoke. He leaned down. She closed her eyes. But he wasn't going to kiss her. He wasn't. It took a while to convince himself. Instead he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"This place," he said, "isn't a place where I come to be alone, occasionally bringing Troy or you. It's not a place where I will sit and be in my own head for hours and hours. This is place to share." He didn't say all the things he wanted to. He didn't tell her she was the only one he would be sharing it with. He didn't tell her that he had all sorts of plans for them. He didn't tell her about the pounding in his chest or the way he could smell how her scent flowed from her hair. He just stopped talking.

For a long time neither of them said anything. Then, slowly, they parted. They smiled awkwardly at each other, but not as awkwardly as they had the last time. Abed pulled paint, brushes, and rollers out from under the sheet on the table.

They began to paint.

* * *

Annie had no idea what time it was when they finally cleaned up the paint supplies. The walls and the ceiling were done. It would need to dry before they could put down the yellow-tape-grid. Her clothes, hair and skin were spattered with little dots of green from rolling the ceiling.

Abed was behind her, putting the painting supplies on the table and covering it with the sheet again.

She wondered, not for the first time, what was going on in his head. She had expected things between them to get worse after her date with Vaughn, but they weren't. They were better than ever. That was an uncomfortable thought. Not that her friendship with Abed was strong, but that she had expected it to fall apart. She hadn't realized before that she'd expected it as soon as Vaughn asked her out.

If that were true, then why did she accept? Why risk her friendship with Abed? She knew he was a loyal friend, but would he continue to be if she were treating him this way?

Abed walked up behind her and opened the door. She walked through and headed to the stairs without waiting for him. When she arrived at 303 she realized it was locked, and she didn't have her key. So she waited. And worried her lip. And fidgeted.

Abed finally arrived. He looked at her, his head tilted to the side, and ran his eyes up and down her once. "You're agitated," he assessed. She looked away. "Did you not enjoy helping me?"

"That's not it, Abed," Annie sighed, avoiding his gaze.

"What then?" He asked directly. "You can tell me, Annie." She still wouldn't look at him.

"Will you please open the door?" She said quietly. "I don't have my keys."

Annie stepped to the side as Abed stepped forward and unlocked the door. He opened it and she slid into the apartment before him. He followed, turning to close the door. By the time he had it locked, and his things put away, she had already vanished into her room.

Abed considered that he had an important decision to make. Did he leave her to her own, obviously bothered, devices? Or did he approach her in the hope that she might discuss with him her inner concerns?

On one hand the last time he had left her to her own devices she had made him eggs and macaroni. On the other, she was prone to over analyzing. He'd made his decision.

Annie was curled up on her bed hugging her stuffed piglet, Mr. Gordo, when she heard a knock on the door. She sighed, debating if she should answer, and if not, if the person would go away. Finally she rolled to her other side, placing her in the middle of her bed, but also facing the door. "Come in," she said.

The door opened, and as expected, Abed poked his head in. The rest of him followed, and he closed the door behind him. "Something's wrong," he stated bluntly. Annie looked at her bedspread. She played with a loose string on it to avoid looking at him.

"I'm okay," she said.

Abed came and sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe, but you're not at ease either." She continued to not look at him and didn't say anything. He put his hand over hers. She started to sniffle. "Why won't you tell me?" He asked. And just for a second she thought she could hear sadness in his voice.

"I can't, Abed. I'm a terrible friend and I can't tell you because then you'll know and you won't want to be my friend anymore," she said. Her voice was tight and choked.

She felt the bed shift as Abed leaned over. His free hand slipped between her cheek and her pillow, cupping it gently. He turned it up slightly so she could see him from his lower angle leaning over her. "You're a wonderful friend," he said seriously. "Everyone makes mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad friend."

He leaned over and Annie braced herself for his increasingly common forehead kiss. But he didn't. He ducked a little lower and placed a soft, sweet, slightly lingering peck on her lips. It lasted just a moment longer than a chaste kiss of friendship would have and then it was gone. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, smiled, and then got up and left.

Annie stared at the door, silently. She was telepathically begging him to come back through.

He didn't.

* * *

A/n: Hello everyone! I hope those of the US readers had a good long weekend. I certainly did, and it took me longer to recover than I had supposed it would. I deeply apologize for being late on this week's chapter. Between revising a short story for submission, working on my NiP, starting the Dark A/A story and all my normal work and schooling I'm struggling to keep up. But don't worry, I won't abandon you.

I'm sorry this story is starting to get a little sad. And I'm sorry to say it's going to get worse before it gets better. But such is life, and love.

Misery-loathes-company – I'm sorry I can't make it longer for you. It takes a surprisingly long time to write 4 pages and I honestly can barely handle that. What did you think of the surprise?

Brittany's Diaries – Love you, darlin'. Your encouragement always bolsters me for the next chapter!

Guest – I'll make you wait no longer!

Ang1885 : "I saw that the later chapters were rated M and almost died. I can't

wait to see what happens next!" – Let me tell you, I am excited to write those chapters.

Thanks to all my reviewers and readers, even if some of my followers are shy!


	15. Fork

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

One week.

It had been one week since Abed had invited Annie into their building's basement and asked her to help him make a sanctuary. And in the past week nothing had happened.

Nothing.

He hardly saw her. She was in and out so quickly they barely spoke. There were no movies, no making breakfast, no working on the Dreamatorium. She did not come to share his bed and his sleep had been restless at best. And of course, after their last conversation, he didn't go to her either.

However, as far as he could determine she hadn't been on another date with Vaughn yet either. That had to be a good sign right? His mind wandered, unable to focus on the notebook. On his plans. He just sat there, at 2am, listening. Hoping Annie's door would open and she would wander in. She didn't have to explain. She didn't have to do anything but come in and be there.

He didn't like this feeling. Whatever it was.

* * *

Annie paced in her bedroom. She'd been hiding in here. From Vaughn, from Abed, from life. At first she'd tried to tell herself she wasn't hiding. She was trying to sort things out. Do right by everyone. But now there was no denying it. She was scared, and she was hiding. Her phone buzzed. A text from Vaughn, one of _many_ this week. This one was simple.

**From: Vaughn**

**Miss you. Date tomorrow?**

**From: Annie**

**Sure. I need to be home by 8 though.**

**From: Vaughn**

**Okay, Mountain Flower, lunch date?**

**From: Annie**

**Sure.**

And now she had a date. Again. How did this keep happening? She growled in frustration, then threw her phone violently onto the bed and finally left her room.

* * *

Abed perked up as he heard a door open. His heart rate increased. He held his breath. He tried to reason with himself. She wouldn't come tonight. She hadn't come any of the other nights. She would go to the kitchen or bathroom. The soft sounds of footsteps stopped. He looked down at the notebook. He felt overwhelmed by something. It happened every time he thought he heard her and then she didn't appear. It was confusing, and frustrating. He continued scribbling notes, determined to block everything out. It worked.

Annie pulled back the sheet that served as the door of the blanket fort. Abed was sitting on the bottom bunk, writing quickly and with great focus in the little black notebook she had noticed him with recently. She wondered what could be so engrossing. Another analysis of a TV show, no doubt. He was really intent upon it and for a moment she considered turning around. But she didn't. She walked in and sat on the bed. He looked up, surprised.

"Annie," he said, a question in his voice. He slowly closed the notebook.

She looked at him. She didn't say anything, didn't know what she wanted to say.

He wrapped the elastic band around the cover of the notebook, tucked the pen into it, and set it down. Then he turned to face her. His hand covered hers. It was warm. She stared at it. She didn't know what she was feeling. And before she could think about what she was saying she blurted, "This must be what you feel like all the time."

Abed quirked his head to the side as he looked at her. She shook her head slowly. "Sorry," her voice came out soft.

"You don't have to tell me," Abed assured her.

She smiled. "I just, I don't know how to explain." She sat quietly for a moment before blurting out, "I'm overwhelmed by feelings I don't understand."

Abed actually chuckled a little. "Yes," he affirmed.

Annie laid her head on his shoulder. With their hands entwined like this he was struck by a vivid memory of the Valentine's Dance. Just before Jeff had sent them all the text saying he loved them. Had he felt this then too? Retrospectively he realized he must have felt something. They'd sat in that position for quite some time and neither of them had been drinking. Yet she'd rested her head on him, and their fingers twined and untwined. She'd stroked his palm. He wondered if she were remembering too.

She was.

After a moment she lifted her head to look at him. She had a very telling urge to press her lips against his and feel the warmth they gave. She did not. She just looked at him.

"Annie," Abed began slowly. Her eyes refocused on his face. "Is there something wrong?"

She licked her lips. "Yes," she admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked next.

She bit her bottom lip, "No?"

He looked at their hands, still entwined, still stroking gently. "Will you tell me something?" She nodded and looked up at him, waiting. "Are we…" he trailed off. He was usually so precise with his words. So ready. Like he'd been thinking them forever. Now he seemed so unsure. She hated that she was making him feel this way, even if he didn't really get it. "Are we okay, Annie?"

And her heart broke. The tone he used, though slight, was distinct. And she remembered hearing it before. The day he'd told her and Troy that every year on December 10th his mother came to visit. She came every year. She had made him feel that again. She was going to cry. She'd been doing far too much of that lately. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard, trying to compose herself.

"Are you mad at me, Annie?" Abed continued. She shook her head.

When she could finally speak she said, "I don't know what we are, Abed." And he hung his head, his eyebrows wrinkled. She put her hand on his cheek and lifted it gently so he would look at her. "But I'm not mad at you. And at the very least, we are okay." He flashed a brief smile at her. "I'm confused, Abed." She admitted. He nodded. "Aren't you?" The words were out before she could stop them.

Abed looked at her, gaze intent. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

She considered for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I was," he admitted. "For a long time. But I'm not anymore. It's okay that you are. You'll figure it all out eventually. You're smart." He paused, quirking a half-smile, tilting his head, and touching her cheek softly. "You're Annie."

She felt something intense and ineffable in that moment. Her chest constricted, and warmth bloomed there, and it was hard to breathe, and all the feelings washed over her. She tried to think, tried to decide what to do, but instead she sighed, looking into his deep amber eyes. He was still touching her cheek. "Abed," she whispered. He looked at her, crinkling his eyebrows in response. She leaned forward involuntarily. His other hand traveled up her arm as the one on her cheek moved to rest along her jawline. She was moving slowly, but with determination.

She felt his hand tighten on her arm and push gently against her on going motion. She stilled but did not retract. Their eyes were still locked. "Annie," the question was in his eyes, not his voice. She nodded. He stopped resisting her. She hesitated just before their lips touched. Lingering, feeling his breath ghost across her lips. Then she closed the gap.

Annie found herself surprised that it was such a gentle kiss. The feelings that had overwhelmed her were so strong and coursing violently, but the kiss was tender and slow and deep. She'd never been kissed like this before. It made her heart swell, and ache, and break. It made her want to gasp down gulps of air but she was desperate not to break it. Abed's hand slipped behind her neck the other slipped around her waist and he hoisted her to sit sideways on his lap.

The exchange was surprisingly chaste, especially considering their previous encounters. She could feel the hot warmth of his hand where it rested on her hip through her pajamas. His fingers stroked the back of her neck softly. And then there was the kiss, the wonderful and terrible softness. The slow slant of his lips sliding over her own. Her hands curled into his close-cropped hair. They tightened and loosened. Her fingers moved to stroke his neck and his cheek. And just when she felt that she desperately needed to increase their pacing he pulled his lips slowly form hers.

"Annie," he said breathlessly. She tried to kiss him again but he resisted. "Wait, Annie."

"I don't want to," she confessed. "I don't want to stop kissing you." Her comment caused him to close his eyes and rest his head on her shoulder.

"Don't say those things," and there was something in his voice that she couldn't quite pick out. Something vulnerable, not hard.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked anyway.

"No," he said. Then he took a deep breath. "I'm mad at myself."

"I don't understand," she stroked her fingers through his hair.

"Our conflict isn't resolved, I'm scene hopping. It's sloppy." But he didn't lift his head.

"Can you explain to me?" She whispered, worry and insecurity laced her words.

"Not a minute before you kissed me you were saying you were confused, you didn't know what was going on between us, you didn't know what we were or how you felt. Did that suddenly change?" He looked up then, eyes boring into hers.

"No," she answered honestly.

"Then it was wrong of me to engage in this activity and it was wrong of you to initiate it." He saw her eye fill with tears. "It's not fair to Vaughn or you or me."

She nodded. "I know," she whispered looking down.

"Why did you do it?" Abed asked suddenly. She couldn't look at him, couldn't answer him if she looked up at his face again.

"I," she paused. Why had she kissed him? It hadn't been premeditated. And then she knew, but how to tell him… "It was the feeling." She said finally. He turned his head, confused. "It wasn't what you said, or how you touched me it was…" she floundered. How to tell him? "It was how I felt when I walked in the room. And how I felt all week when I _didn't _see you. I think," but Abed covered her lips with a finger.

"You're scene hopping," he said with a small smile. She smiled back beneath his fingers. "Don't say anything now. I don't want you to say anything you're going to take back. Just, go to bed." He took her hand, kissed it, and helped her up. He walked her to the curtain covering the door to the fort. "Goodnight Annie," he whispered behind her. "Sleep sweet."

And he let her go.

* * *

A/n: Well since I was so late, and I got so much written today, and you're all so wonderful, I'm posting the next chapter. BUT I expect a LOT of reviews:)


	16. Breaking

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Annie hadn't slept well. After what had felt remarkably like a goodbye she couldn't quiet her mind. She still didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know how she felt or what she thought. She just knew going to sleep without Abed last night had been painful. And so she managed only a few meager hours before she had to be up to get ready for her lunch date. A lunch date she wasn't sure _why_ she was going on.

Abed hadn't been out of the fort before she left. She wondered if he was sleeping. She was secretly relieved she didn't have to explain that she was going out with Vaughn again after what had happened the night before. She waited for Vaughn to pull up in his Prius and pick her up.

And there he was. And now she was smiling, and laughing, and holding his hand.

* * *

Abed watched from his window. He could see the curb, he saw Vaughn get out and open her door, kiss her cheek, rest his hand on her back and ease her into the car.

She hadn't told him. Abed felt an uncomfortable heat in his cheeks. He was mad, he realized, livid. She had obviously agreed to this date either before or after she had come to him last night. Probably before. And she'd still gone through with it. What did he do about this? He irrationally felt like hitting something. He knew what the notebook said to do now, but she'd changed everything last night. He knew now he couldn't wait four dates. Not because he didn't have the time, but because he didn't want to. The swell and ebb of emotion was too confusing, to impossible to understand. He went to his bunk and took out the notebook.

There would not be the gentle ease of Two, he crossed it out. Nor would there be the fun spontaneity of Three, it too garnered a large black X. He would skip to Four, even if it needed to be modified to get ready in time. And he had precious little of that in which to set it up. He threw on his clothes, grabbed the notebook and his messenger bag, and made for the stairs.

Luckily he'd spent the last week finishing and supplying the new Dreamatorium. So at least he didn't need to make any trips.

* * *

Annie was exhausted when she trudged up the stairs after her date. It had been an emotionally taxing few days. She walked over to the blanket fort only to find it empty. She was disappointed, but he lived here, he'd be back sooner or later. So she went to the bathroom, did her business, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. Then she made her way to her room, intent on sleeping even if it was only 7pm. She opened the door to find a box on her bed with a card on it. She opened the card.

_D,_

_These garb I hath provided for thee. Don them and meet me in the depths._

_I wait._

_~H_

She looked at it, puzzled, then opened the box. It was full of a gossamer thin fabric in a very light blue. She lifted it and examined it. It was cut more like the sundresses she tended to wear than anything as Victorian as his note had suggested but it had those elements too, delicate pearl work, flowers embroidered. She put it on to find it fit perfectly, and lent her a gentle elegance she would have never imagined herself to have. She slipped on a pair of flats and made her way to the basement. To her surprise she found all the doors propped open and she entered easily. When she got to the door of the New Dreamatorium she held her breath, then released it slowly. She pushed it open.

The room was transformed. The green and yellow walls were draped in fabric and fake vines and flowers. Twinkle lights provided the only lighting, creating pockets of deep shadow. The couch and table were made to look like gentle hills. And in the middle of all of it stood Abed.

He wore a long white shirt that tied at the wrists but was unlaced at the chest. His pants were tight and brown. He looked up at her. She couldn't read his expression, it was complicated and intense. She approached him slowly, and when she was near he began to speak.

"You draw me, you hard-hearted adamant; But yet you draw not iron, for my heart is true as steel: leave you your power to draw, And I shall have no power to follow you." He paused then waiting for something, and Annie knew, nearly instantly, what it was.

"Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth tell you, I do not, nor I cannot love you?" She said, voice wavering. She understood the note now. He was playing Helena's part and she was Demetrius.

"And even for that do I love you the more." He fell to his knees before her. "I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:" He grasped at the hem of her skirt. "Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, Unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love,- And yet a place of high respect with me,- Than to be used as you use your dog?"

"Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;" Annie's voice broke, but she kept going. Abed would not thank her for breaking his Dreamscape. "For I am sick when I do look on thee."

"And I," He pleaded as he stood and touched her hand, "am sick when I look not on you."

Annie pulled her hand back, out of his grasp. "You do impeach your modesty too much, To leave the city and commit yourself into the hands of one that loves you not; To trust the opportunity of night and the ill counsel of a desert place with the rich worth of your virginity."

Abed took a step forward, pressing her and she stepped back as he spoke. "Your virtue is my privilege: for that it is not night when I do see your face, therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, for you in my respect are all the world: Then how can it be said I am alone, when all the world is here to look on me?"

They stood close, Annie backed up against a hill. "I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes, and leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts."

Abed's face contorted in hurt and anger. "The wildest hath not such a heart as you. Run when you will, the story shall be changed: Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind makes speed to catch the tiger; bootless speed, when cowardice pursues and valour flies."

Annie inched to the side between Abed and the hill in order to free herself. "I will not stay thy questions; let me go: Or, if thou follow me, do not believe but I shall do thee mischief in the wood." Then she walked off to the far corner.

Abed did not follow her, or even watch her go. He hung his head and sniffled. "Ay, in the temple, in the town, the field, you do me mischief. Fie, Demetrius! Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex: We cannot fight for love, as men may do; We should be wooed and were not made to woo." Then he straightened and turned in the direction she had gone. His face was determined, if sad. "I'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, To die upon the hand I love so well."

He stood still for a moment. His face shifted and he gestured to Annie. She moved to meet him. He took his hands in hers and recited, "If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended: That you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream. Gentles, do not reprehend: if you pardon, we will mend: And, as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearned luck now to 'scape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call; So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends."

His face changed again, back to normal. He dropped her hands. Annie didn't know how to react.

"Abed," she asked cautiously, "what is all this?"

He half-smiled sadly at her. "I was hoping it would translate better if it were your favorite story. I have trouble connecting on my own and _Midsummer_ seemed to fit so well. I was originally going to have us act out the whole thing, but I had to adapt the plan. So I picked the most important parts to convey what I needed to say."

Annie gulped. "Abed, do you think I treat you badly?"

He considered this for a moment. "I don't think you do it on purpose," he said. "But you have done several things over the past month that were not considerate of my feelings. It's not your fault, I know I'm hard to read, but I do _have_ feelings Annie. I think people tend to forget that, or maybe think I'm unaffected by them because t's hard for me to express them." He looked at the floor.

"That scene is about Helena loving someone who doesn't love her back," Annie said carefully. She waited for him to confirm it.

Instead he looked up at her, his eye narrow. "If you want to hear it you're going to need to ask the question," he told her, somewhat harshly. "After all, I've spent a long time making sure I don't say anything, don't influence you, don't push you." His eyes softened as he lifted his hand to her cheek. "You have to ask," he whispered, anger gone.

She gulped. "Abed," she gasped unable to control her voice. "Are you in love with me?"

He looked into her eyes, making certain he had her undivided attention. "I have measured these feelings by every method I could think of. I have analyzed and compared our interactions and my emotions through TV, movies, novels, music, and every pop-culture reference I know. I don't know what the abstract emotion 'love' is. I don't know how to quantify it. I don't know how to confirm it. But by all standards I have compared our story against I have found only one solution." Annie held her breath as he leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to hers. For a moment there was a passionate kiss full of the intensity unique to Abed's unfaltering focus. Then they separated and she was gasping for breath. "I am in love with Annie Edison."

Annie gapped at him. Of course he wouldn't be able to just know. Of course he had been obsessing, and analyzing, and trying to make sense of all the things that had happened. And she had confused him over and over. He was still looking at her. Waiting, she knew, for her to say something.

"I…I…" she pulled back from him. Her eyes went wide with sudden realization. "I have to go," she spit out hurridly. She turned and fled out the door.

It closed behind her. Abed sat down and stared blankly after her.

* * *

A/n: I am so so so so so so sorry to leave it there. But that's how the chapter breaks fall. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed or favorited this story, it means a lot to me. And maybe, if you're extra generous with your reviews, I'll be motivated enough to finish the next chapter and put it up early! Love!

capricusp - I know, it's been forever that we've been teased with their love!

Brittany's diaries - Hello, darling! Abed and Vaughn will probably have a fight at some point, but I doubt it will be in the way you're thinking.

Misery-loathes-Company - I'm glad you got a fix! I'm sorry this chapter wasn't as aw-worthy.

Google Girl11 - Annie is the type to be confused by someone's interest in her, I think, so having two men interested in her at the same time would be hard for her.

Gab-Bri-Elle-Magi- High-fives back atcha!

tmvg - All the feels? Again? I am a bad, bad, person. I apologize :)


	17. Feeling

Disclaimer: This work is protected under the parody clause of copyright law. I do not own the characters, the creative content of the show _Community_, or the fandom.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 3 finale.

* * *

Eventually, he wasn't sure how long it had been, Annie waked back through the door she had bolted out of. He found, even in his numbness, that he was dazzled by how beautiful she was. She hadn't changed her clothes, although several strands of her hair were out of place and there was mud on her ballet flats. He noticed all these things about her, but he couldn't connect. He'd tried and failed. The wires were frayed.

"Abed?" Annie's voice was full of worry as she dropped to her knees before him. "Are you okay? Abed look at me."

He couldn't. He thought he could connect with her, thought he didn't need to disconnect to deal with his feelings. He'd been wrong.

She grabbed his face forcing his eyes up. She looked into them, searching. "Abed please," she begged. He shook his head gently. Had she not been holding it she wouldn't have even noticed. It wasn't much of a response but she would have to make do with it. "Abed," she began slowly, still holding onto him to feel his responses, "I don't think you understand." He shook his head again. "If I explain will you listen, really listen, to the whole thing even if you can't respond?" There was a long pause but finally he gave the slightest nod of affirmation. "Okay," she sat back, dropping her hand to her lap, and took a deep breath. "This all goes back to my first date with Vaughn." Abed let out a slow keening, but she took his hand in hers and stroked it gently. "You promised," she reminded him, and the sound stopped. "The first date was set the day you didn't come to the mall with me."

* * *

Annie had been surprised when Vaughn had ended up asking her out. Things hadn't ended well between them, after all, and his history with the group wasn't great either. She'd been so surprised, in fact, that she'd said yes. She didn't really have a desire to date him again, but he seemed so different now, and maybe they would work.

But the day, while pleasant, had been kind of off. He doted on her, called her Mountain Flower, tucked her hair back, all the things she'd once thought romance was. But as much as she laughed, she found her laughter was forced. She didn't enjoy the tension of being with him romantically. And when the date ended she had been prepared to tell him thank you, but that she'd rather be friends. And then he'd kissed her. And she felt that warmth he used to make her feel. And she came back to the apartment smiling and happy.

The next date had been much like the first only he started to talk about what he wanted out of life and where she fit and she started to realize something. Vaughn was different. Not just grown up different. He was more reserved. More closed off. Like he was hiding a part of himself. She felt worried and confused and wanted to help. They went to dinner and a movie, something he'd abhorred in the past. She felt like he was just going through the motions, fulfilling expectations.

Then there was the last date, the lunch date. He took her to lunch, then a walk in the park. Then they drove somewhere quiet and out of the way. He kissed her, and she kissed him back. It was pleasant enough. But then his hand slid under her skirt and over her blouse, and she kept pushing it away but he persisted until she demanded he take her home. He looked dejected and lost and ashamed.

When Abed confessed she suddenly realized what was going on with Vaughn and she knew she needed to help him _now_. She left Abed, hoping she would be able to fix this later.

Annie arrived at Vaughn's apartment via cab twenty minutes later. She pounded on his door. "Vaughn!?" She shouted. "Vaughn it's Annie, open the door." She continued to pound until she heard some shuffling. The lock clicked and the door slid open.

"Mountain Flower?" A slurred voice asked. His eyes were red and watery and she pushed her way in. "Is everything okay?" He asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Vaughn." Her eyes searched the room. "Something's been off between us since you got back and I've been trying to figure out what that thing is." She said pushing her way into his bathroom and bedroom. Finally she found what she was looking for. She picked the bottle up off his bedside table. "Did you take any of these painkillers?" She asked angrily.

He hung his head. "Yes," he admitted.

"How many," she demanded. He stayed silent. "You are obviously drunk and if you took these I need to know how many. I need to know if I need to call an ambulance, Vaughn!"

"Ohn," he slurred, "only two, Mountain Flower. I didn't have the courage to take the rest." Annie tucked the bottle into her purse.

"How long have you been addicted?" She asked, her voice softer.

"Since six months after we broke up," he replied. Annie grit her teeth.

"And how long have you been contemplating suicide?" She continued. He shrugged. "And why?" He shrugged again. "Well I have a theory, would you like to hear it?" He didn't say anything. "I think you learned something about yourself while you were away. Something that was always there but you were too afraid to admit. And I think it scared you and that when you couldn't ignore it anymore you tried to pretend. I think this is why all our dates felt rehearsed. I think this is why you starting popping pills. Am I right?"

He looked up, eyes sad and heavy. "Yes," his voice was gruff.

"You're in love with someone?" She asked.

"Yes," he answered. His voice cracked, tears started to fall. "Please, Annie, don't do this."

"What's his name?" Annie asked gently.

Vaughn's knees crumpled and he fell to the floor. His head was in his hands. His body shook violently and he sobbed in great wails. Annie knelt on the floor and wrapped her arms around him. "I… I can't" he wailed.

After a while Annie managed to get him into bed. She waited until he fell asleep, making sure he was on his side, then she wrote down the number of her sponsor and of her AA group as well as the clinic she'd gone to. She went through the house and found all of his stashes, she was reasonably sure. Having been an addict herself, she at least knew where she would have hidden them. Finally she called a cab back to the apartment.

* * *

"And now I'm here," Annie said. "I'm sorry I left like that. I wish I could have stayed and put your mind at ease but I don't think I would have gotten there in time to help him." Abed still didn't say anything. "You're not Helena, Abed. I wouldn't make you my spaniel. You're my friend. You're important to me. And…" she took a deep breath. "I've never been in love, Abed. I don't know how to qualify or quantify what I'm feeling. I don't know if I love you. I can't tell you that. But I can… I can tell you how I feel."

And he looked at her for the first time since she'd come back. He didn't focus and his expression didn't change, but at least he looked at her.

"I like to make you food, and to make it with you even if it's just buttered noodles. I like to sing with you because you never make me feel silly. I like watching movies with you and listening to you analyze them. I like the way you make pop-culture references. I like how you claim to not be able to understand or reciprocate emotion but you understand more than all of us. I like your imagined dreamscapes. I like the way you smile and the way I feel when you smile just at me." She sniffled and hung her head determined to keep going even if it wasn't working. "I feel overwhelmed and warm and safe when you kiss me. I feel empty and lonely when you're not around even if I'm with other people. I feel ashamed and broken when I let you down. When you touch me I feel like I'll die if you stop. You're all the good things in my life. Abed you're… you're my joy." She held her head in her hands and let the tears fall. "Without you everything is ruined."

She cried softly for long moments and then she felt long slender fingers warm against the skin of her arms. Abed wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him tightly. He was rocking back and forth. They were silent for a long time. Finally he said, "I thought I'd lost you, Annie. I thought you hated me. I thought you didn't love me. I thought you didn't want to be my friend anymore. I've never been so… scared."

She cried into his arms and he buried his head in her hair. He held her and breathed in her slight creamcicle scent. The smell that meant Annie was here, meant Annie was with him and close. Close enough to smell. Close enough to touch. And he did. He ran his hands over every inch of exposed skin he could find. He combed his fingers through her hair.

His touch soothed her. Soon her sniffles tapered off. His continued firm presses made goosflesh explode across her skin. She shivered. Abed felt Annie lifting her head and loosened his grip so she could look up. She brushed the backs of her hands across her cheeks, wiping her tears away. Abed looked down at her, brow creased. She hadn't said anything yet. She could still back out.

"Abed," she said. Her voice was wavering.

"Yes?" he responded, fingers moving to brush her hair back from her face. She leaned into it and he ended up cradling her neck.

"I," she faltered.

He rested his forehead against hers. "You don't have to say anything, Annie. I know now. Knowing is enough."

"You deserve more than that, Abed. You deserve someone who can communicate with you."

Abed let out a rare chuckle. "Annie, you think you don't communicate with me?" His smile was contagious. She smiled shyly at him and nodded. "Annie, you communicate with me better than anyone. You know when I'm missing something, and you know how to explain without making me feel bad. And I can read you better than I can read anyone else. I knew you felt something for me. And I knew I had to let you figure it out for yourself. And you did."

She smiled again and leaned down to nuzzle against his shoulder. "You're right." She said.

"I know," he replied. She lifted her head and graced him with a glowing smile. No sadness or anxiousness clouded or dimmed it. "I love you." He said, smiling.

She nodded. "I love you too." Annie felt his hand slip around her back. He pulled her onto his lap.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he didn't give her a chance to respond. It was like their first kiss and their second and their third all rolled into one. It was tender and passionate and soft and needy and how his lips could do all those things at once, Annie would never know. But warmth flooded her once more and she felt her cheeks flush even as heat pooled just below her navel.

She moved from where she was sitting across his lap and tucked her knees on either side of his hips. She kissed him hungrily. Her hands pulled him closer then slid under the open collar of his shirt. His skin was soft and warm, the muscle under it was firm. She pressed her nails into his shoulders gently. She ran her fingers down his back and across his shoulder blades. Finally he made a soft sound at the back of his throat. She pulled her lips and hands from him and for a moment he looked worried but then she ducked her head and pressed her lips against his neck sucking and nipping gently. Her hands slipped under the hem of his shirt. She scratched along the planes of his stomach and the ridges of his ribs. "Annie," the word came out husky and desperate and she redoubled her efforts. He made a low growl, his hands tight around her hips. "Annie, stop," he grunted.

"Why?" She mumbled against his neck.

"Because," he started then bit her shoulder gently. "Ugh, I can't think like this."

"That's wonderful," she mumbled again.

"Yes," he moaned. Then he shook his head. "No." His hands moved up and gripped her shoulders he pushed her gently back.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Her eyes were heavy with lust. He could feel her warmth where she straddled him. Her voice was lower and laced with something dangerous.

"It's not wrong," he paused briefly to grunt as she shifted against him. "But think about this for a minute."

"I have," she whimpered as she wiggled more.

"Annie," he grit his teeth, then took a long slow breath. "Do you really want to sleep together for the first time on the floor of the Dreamatorium when no one knows we're together and right after we've had several very emotional revelations?"

She pouted. He had obviously gotten through to her. "No," she admitted.

"You're Annie," he said, leaning forward to nuzzle her neck. "You'll want it to be special."

"Abed," Annie sighed, "you recreated my favorite Shakespeare play. You sign Disney duets with me. You made me not one, but two shadow puppet plays. You _are_ special."

"You mean unique," he said recalling his youth and the interesting words people used to describe him.

"I do not," she said pulling his head up and forcing him to look at her. "I don't me unique, or freak, or anything but what I said. You are special. And whenever we get around to it, however it happens, it will be special. Because it's with you, Abed." She leaned down and kissed him. It was soft and tender and Abed could feel her holding her longing back. She kept it brief and then pulled away. "But we can go watch movies."

He nodded. "Cool."

"Cool, cool, cool," Annie cut him off. He smiled.

* * *

A/n: Well, I hope it was worth it!

Instead of apologizing to each reviewing individually I'm just going to do it all at once now: I'M SO, SO SORRY!

Misery-loathes-Company - you gave me all the guilty feelings. All of them.

lupine-eyes - as I said in the PM writers are bad bad people. It's our job to make you feel things and usually it's done by torturing you via character angst. I apologize, but it's my job. I hope it was worth it.

Ang1885 - another fine example of me doing my job. If you're feeling what Abed does (and I assure you frustration is high of the list) then I'm doing what I'm supposed to be.

quendra - oh thank you! Your encouragement and support is greatly appreciated!

JSBashir2341 - I hope the swoons made up for the frustrations!

Guest - how do you feel now that Annie has explained? Thanks for reviewing!


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